Portable automated blood pressure monitoring apparatus and method

A portable auscultatory blood pressure and heart rate measurement system is wearable by an ambulatory patient and measures systolic and diastolic pressure upon request or at random time intervals within a user-programmed range. Cuff inflation pressure and deflation rate are also user programmable. During cuff deflation, pressure and korotkoff sound signal amplitudes are obtained and stored in timed relation to the user's ECG, a threshold level is derived from pressure signal amplitudes and system noise level, and systolic and diastolic pressure determined and validated by trend analysis in relation to this threshold level. Analysis results are stored along with a sample number and time of measurement under on-board digital signal processor control, in both a solid state memory and an analog serial data storage medium such as magnetic tape. Data may be retrieved by local display, for example, in a biofeedback setting, or display on an external video display or printer, or can be downloaded in digital form to a local or remote digital computer.