Apparatus and method for measuring a time interval, called a diastolic time interval, which is characteristic of the condition of a patient

摘要

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for measuring a time interval relating to the heartbeats of a patient. According to the invention, a device 21 for detecting a systolic wave makes it possible to determine the moment of appearance of the electric depolarisation wave of the cardiac muscle, a device 22 for detecting the KOROTKOFF sounds makes it possible to determine the moment of disappearance of these sounds, and a portable casing 1 connected to these devices and enclosing a microprocessor computation unit 11 and a display unit 12 makes it possible to calculate the time interval between the electric wave and the last KOROTKOFF sound detectable at the diastolic pressure of the artery, and to display it. The invention is intended, in ambulatory mode, to assess the cardiovascular condition and in particular the arterial condition of a patient and to check the measurements of his/her blood pressure. <IMAGE>