Project Description:

The first part of nearly every doctor’s office visit is obtaining vitals. One of the most important vitals is blood pressure (BP). Many patients come into clinic surprised by their blood pressure readings, many with notable differences between at-home and clinic pressure measurements. Some take their blood pressure daily with home cuffs, and the discrepancy between clinic and at-home readings is vaguely labeled as “calibration error.” However, there is currently no easy way to calibrate blood pressure cuffs, nor is there a convenient on-site verification method.

Current means of calibrating blood pressure cuffs/machines are not straight forward. Some machines have a self-calibration tool, while other BP cuffs have to be assessed directly by the manufacturer or by a professional calibration service. Other means include comparing to a manual cuff or a bulky process with involving parts/tools. The American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines on checking calibration of a home BP cuff is time consuming requiring a visit to their clinician’s office and sequential measurements. Although blood pressure readings are universal, there is no universal approach to calibrating this important machinery.

The solution is a verification device that mimics arterial pulses, using a pressure sensor and Arduino circuit to generate a standard that can be used to reliably verify set pressures, like 120/80. This solution is not currently being marketed, nor does it have FDA approval. However, further development could enable the device to positively impact the monitoring of over 120 million people affected by high blood pressure in the United States.