Patent ID: 7226419

Claim:
A method for blood pressure measurement by means of an inflatable cuff applied to a limb of a vertebrate and pneumatically coupled to a first port and a second port of a blood pressure measurement apparatus having a pump for inflating the cuff pneumatically coupled to the second port, said blood pressure measurement to be conducted via a selected blood pressure measurement procedure, said method comprising the steps of: initiating inflation of the inflatable cuff; sensing a first pressure through a first pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the first port; sensing a second pressure through a second pressure sensor pneumatically coupled to the second port; comparing the magnitude of the first pressure to the magnitude of the second pressure during an initial inflation period to determine a relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure; and continuing the blood pressure measurement procedure if the relative relationship between the respective magnitudes of the first pressure and the second pressure is characteristic of the selected blood pressure measurement procedure and cuff in use.