TRAGBARE VORRICHTUNG UND VERFAHREN FUER DIE SELBSTTAETIGE REGELUNG DES BLUTDRUCKS

A portable computer-based blood pressure monitoring system automatically measures heart rate and blood pressure using the auscultatory method. Measurements are performed at random time intervals to prevent the subject from affecting his blood pressure and heart rate due to the expected onset of measurement. Data representative of Korotkoff sounds and corresponding applied cuff pressures is stored in both digital form in a semiconductor random access memory (132) and in analog form on a serial magnetic tape recorder (112). The system automatically maintains occluding cuff pressure constant for a predetermined period after cuff inflation before performing measurements to prevent pneumatic ringing from affecting blood pressure measurements. After cuff deflation, values are derived which are representatives of the average of the highest Korotkoff sound level peaks and the average of all Korotkoff sound level peaks and serve to define a threshold value in relation to which the points of systolic and diastolic pressure measurements are determined.