Patent ID: 8211029

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring or monitoring blood pressure in a mammalian subject having a myocardium, the apparatus comprising: a sensor for detecting a pulsewave on an exterior surface of the mammalian subject and for generating data signals corresponding to the pulsewave; a processing unit for converting said data signals into display signals; an input/output interface for displaying said display signals; an inclination measuring device including: a multiple-axis accelerometer that is adapted to measure acceleration about an axis that is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to a vertical plane in plural, orthogonal directions and to generate a first output based on an acceleration measured in a first direction (A x ) in the vertical plane and to generate a second output based on an acceleration measured in a second direction (A y ) orthogonal to the first direction in the vertical plane; and a controller unit that is adapted to determine a roll angle and a change in roll angle using the first and second outputs and to determine whether the device is affixed to a left wrist or to a right wrist of the mammalian subject using a polarity of the roll angle.