Patent Publication Number: US-2015088009-A1

Title: Semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/881,362 filed on Sep. 23, 2013 and is herein incorporated by reference in its entirely. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This document relates to a sphygmomanometer, and in particular, to a sphygmomanometer with a means for semi-automatic inflation and manual deflation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A sphygmomanometer is a device used with a vascular cuff and stethoscope for measuring blood pressure in an artery. Typically, a manual sphygmomanometer is connected to a vascular cuff that is wrapped around an arm (or other location as required) of an individual and then inflated to constrict the flow of blood. The vascular cuff is connected to hollow tubing that communicates with a flexible bulb that is manually pumped by the practitioner to cause inflation of the vascular cuff. In addition, a valve and indicator gauge arrangement is interposed between the hollow tubing and the flexible bulb to provide a visual indication of pressure being applied by the vascular cuff and to control the flow of air pressure to the vascular cuff. A stethoscope or Doppler probe is applied over the individual&#39;s brachial pulse, which is located on the inside of the individual&#39;s upper arm near the elbow (or other location as required), and the valve is then tightened prior to repeatedly pumping the flexible bulb until the vascular cuff reaches a certain pressure, for example 200 mm Hg being shown on the indicator gauge. The vascular cuff is then slowly deflated by loosening the valve or another embodiment, such as an air release trigger. While watching the air pressure fall, the practitioner uses the stethoscope or Doppler probe to listen for when the first audible sound of a heartbeat or pulse of the individual is first heard which provides systolic blood pressure. Once the systolic blood pressure is determined, the valve may be completely opened and the remaining air let out of the vascular cuff. Although such manual sphygmomanometers work well for their intended purpose, the practitioner is still required to manually pump the flexible bulb to inflate the vascular cuff. In addition, certain vascular diagnostic procedures, such as segmental pressures, may require repetitive inflation of several cuffs, often of significant volume, such as an upper thigh cuff, which can lead to repetitive strain injuries. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system showing the sphygmomanometer apparatus, a vascular cuff, and hollow tubing; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram of the semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the sphygmomanometer apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the sphygmomanometer apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the sphygmomanometer apparatus and related ancillary equipment; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the sphygmomanometer apparatus taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding elements among the view of the drawings. The headings used in the figures do not limit the scope of the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As described herein, a sphygmomanometer system having a means for semi-automatic inflation of a vascular cuff as well as a means for manually terminating inflation of the vascular cuff by a practitioner as an individual&#39;s blood pressure is being monitored. In addition, the sphygmomanometer system provides a means for automatically detecting the size of a vascular cuff attached to an individual. Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of a semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system is illustrated and generally indicated as  100  in  FIGS. 1-6 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in some embodiments the semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system  100  may include a sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  that is connected to a vascular cuff  108  through hollow tubing  106  in which sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  allows for semi-automatic inflation of the vascular cuff  108  and manual termination of inflation of the vascular cuff  108 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the semi-automatic sphygmomanometer system  100  may include a motor  114  in operative connection to a rolling pump  112  for generating air flow through a tee connector  120 . The tee connector  120  receives pressurized air from the rolling pump  112  and splits the pressurize air into two separate air pathways—a first pathway that supplies the pressurized air to an indicator gauge  104 , a valve  116  and vascular cuff  108  as well as a second pathway that supplies the pressurized air to a pressure sensor  123 . 
     The pressure sensor  123  is in operative communication with a printed circuit board  127  or other type of processor that receives air pressure data from the pressure sensor  123 . In one embodiment, the printed circuit board  127  may automatically detect the size of the vascular cuff  108  connected to the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102 . In particular, the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  provides a means for determining whether the vascular cuff  108  is either a small cuff or a large cuff based on the data received from the pressure sensor  123 . The printed circuit board  127  may then adjust the power being supplied to the rolling pump  112  by controlling the amount of power being supplied to the rolling pump  112 . For example, if a large vascular cuff  108  is detected by the printed circuit board  127 , the rolling pump  112  operates at 100% power, while if a small vascular cuff  108  is detected by the printed circuit board  127  the rolling pump  112  will operate at about 35% power, although other power levels less than 100% are contemplated when a small vascular cuff  108  is used. This arrangement allows the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  to inflate a vascular cuff  108  at a reasonable inflation speed based on the size of the vascular cuff  108  with a single actuation of the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102 . 
     In some embodiments, the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may include a safety feature that automatically terminates inflation of the vascular cuff  108  if the pressure detected by the pressure sensor  123  exceeds a predetermined value, for example 270 mmHg, to prevent over-inflation of the vascular cuff  108 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  includes an air outlet  111  configured to engage the hollow tubing  106  ( FIG. 1 ), which is connected to the vascular cuff  108  to allow inflation of the vascular cuff  108  by the rolling pump  112 . During operation of the pump  112 , air flow generated by the pump  112  flows through the hollow tubing  106  to inflate the vascular cuff  108 , which is configured to be wrapped around an individual&#39;s arm (or other location along the body of an individual) when monitoring an individual&#39;s blood pressure as shall be discussed in greater detail below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may further include an inflationary button  122  that activates and terminates operation of the motor  114  in order to turn on and off the operation of the rolling pump  112 . In operation, the practitioner must depress and maintain the inflationary button  122  in the depressed state to maintain the inflationary button  122  in an “ON” position, which activates the rolling pump  112 . Once the practitioner releases the inflationary button  122 , the inflationary button  122  is placed in the “OFF” position and the operation of the rolling pump  112  ceases until the practitioner once again depresses the inflationary button  122 . 
     As further shown, the motor  114  may include one or more batteries  118  to provide power to the motor  114  for operating the rolling pump  112 . The sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may include an internal chamber  125  configured to encase the rolling pump  112 , motor  114 , batteries  118 , pressure sensor  123 , tee connector  120  and printed circuit board  127 . In some embodiments, the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  be connected directly to an electrical outlet (not shown) through a power adapter  130  ( FIG. 5 ). As shown in  FIG. 5 , the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may include a DC jack  132  that receives an AC adapter  130 , which is used to charge one or more batteries  118 . 
     As further shown, the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may include a gauge  104  that includes a dial or digital readout for providing a visual indication of air pressure within the vascular cuff  108 . The gauge  104  may be connected to a valve  116  that provides selective fluid flow communication between the pump  112 , the gauge  104 , and the vascular cuff  108  when actuated. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102  may include an air pressure release trigger  124  that allows for the deflation of the vascular cuff  108  when actuated by releasing air pressure from vascular cuff  108 . Once inflation of the vascular cuff  108  is terminated by releasing the inflationary button  122 , the practitioner may then release the air pressure from the vascular cuff  108  by actuating the air pressure release trigger  124  such that air pressure is released to the atmosphere. In some embodiments, the air pressure release trigger  124  may be a trigger mechanism, a button mechanism, a switch mechanism, or a dial mechanism for releasing air pressure from the sphygmomanometer apparatus  102 . 
     In one method of use of the semi-automatic sphygmomanometer  100 , the vascular cuff  108  is wrapped snugly around an individual&#39;s arm or other location along the body of the individual. For example, the vascular cuff  108  may be positioned so that the lower part of the vascular cuff  108  is approximately 1 inch above the inner bend of the individual&#39;s elbow and over the brachial artery. After inflating the vascular cuff  108  as discussed above until the gauge  104  reads about 200 mm Hg, the practitioner may then place one end of a stethoscope (not shown) over the individual&#39;s brachial pulse and actuate the air pressure release trigger  124  to begin deflating the vascular cuff  108 . As air pressure falls and the vascular cuff  108  deflates, the practitioner listens carefully for the first audible sound of the individual&#39;s heartbeat or pulse through the stethoscope. The first audible sound of the heartbeat or pulse heard through the stethoscope indicates the individual&#39;s systolic blood pressure. The remaining air pressure is released from the vascular cuff  108  by actuation of the air pressure release trigger  124 . In some embodiments, a Doppler device may be used, rather than a stethoscope, to listen for the heartbeat or pulse. 
     It should be understood from the foregoing that, while particular embodiments have been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teachings of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.