Patent ID: 6533729
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A sensor assembly for acquiring blood pressure data from a patient, comprising:a housing adapted to be placed adjacent to said patient with a hold down force in a location where said blood pressure data is to be acquired during use of said sensor assembly; a source of photo-radiation, a two-dimensional, flexible reflective surface, said reflective surface positioned relative to said radiation source such that said radiation travels in a direction normal to said reflective surface, and wherein said blood pressure data is to be acquired during use of said sensor assembly; a two-dimensional array of photo-sensitive elements adjacent the source of photo-radiation and the two-dimensional, flexible reflective surface, said array collecting radiation emitted from said source and reflected off said reflective surface, said two-dimensional array comprising an NÃ—M array of the photo-sensitive elements where both N and M are greater than 1 for at least a portion of the two-dimensional array; and a hold down pressure sensor adapted for measuring said hold down force; wherein movement of said flexible reflective surface due to blood pulsations in said patient causes scattering patterns of said radiation from said reflective surface to be detected by said two dimensional array of photo-sensitive elements, said scattering patterns acquired by said array of photo-detectors processed either in said sensor assembly or in a remote processing unit into useful blood pressure data for said patient.