APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR NON-INVASIVELY MONITORING A SUBJECT'S ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE

摘要

Apparatus is disclosed for non-invasively monitoring a subject's blood pressure, in which a pressure sensor assembly (14) that includes a pressure transducer (50) is compressed against tissue overlying an artery, with sufficient force to compress the artery. A motor (32) first servo control system optimizes the amount of artery compression, which occurs at a mean transmural pressure of about zero, by modulating one side of a lever arm (36) compressing the assembly against the tissue, creating a pressure signal indicative of transmural pressure. Since different pressure effects are realized according to the amount of artery compression, an appropriate control signal can be produced that provides for a second motor (34) to adjust the other side of the lever arm (36) to provide the optimum compression of the assembly into the tissue overlying the artery. The apparatus is optimally positioned over an artery by including an ultrasonic blood flow sensor configured to sense the flow of blood under the pressure transducer.