Abstract: A closed blood pressure cuff including a ring-shaped inflatable bladder having an inner portion for making direct contact with a user's arm and an outer portion having a fixed circumference outside the inner portion. The bladder is formed of non-distensible material, preferably by joining a tubular starting element. The inner portion of the bladder is not constrained during inflation and thus can readily conform to a subject's limb, the outer portion accommodating an upper limit of arm circumference within the cuff. The cuff may include a stiffener attached to the outer portion of the bladder to automatically adjust the shape of the bladder during inflation. The stiffener may be in the form of a continuous layer or may comprise a plurality of axial ribs, allowing the cuff to be folded when not in use. The cuff may be generally cylindrical or may be tapered.

Abstract: A blood pressure cuff including an inflatable bladder disposed between an elastic, resilient inner layer of material and at least one outer layer of material. The bladder is secured to these layers along the elongate ends but not along the elongate edges. The bladder is not laterally constrained during inflation. The cuff is formed into a cylindrical shape having a fixed outer diameter and includes a backing layer and apparatus for securing the bladder to a layer of the cuff to hold the bladder in place during donning of the cuff. Because the bladder is not constrained along its contact-width edges, the shape of the bladder automatically adjusts to provide a longer contact surface for larger arms and a shorter contact surface for smaller arms. The cuff is especially suited for use as a closed cuff in an automated blood pressure measurement machine or in stand-alone measurement use.