Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for determining an indicator, which is representative for a physiological parameter of a patient like a fluid responsiveness parameter, based on a pulse signal. The apparatus determines a) a respiratory pulse variation signal (r0) corresponding to pulse variations caused by ventilation or respiration induced heart-lung interaction based on the pulse signal and b) a systolic part of the respiratory pulse variation signal, which corresponds to a time period in which an increasing or decreasing applied pressure passed the systolic arterial pressure of the patient and which therefore is prone to comprising an artifact. Moreover, the respiratory pulse variation signal is modified such that the determined systolic part of the respiratory pulse variation signal is corrected, wherein the indicator is determined based on the measured pulse signal and the modified respiratory pulse variation signal. This procedure allows for a more accurate determination of the indicator.

Abstract: A method for non-invasively determining at least one blood pressure value (SAP1ni, MAP1ni, DAP1ni) from a tissue pressure signal (TP) by means of a pressure cuff (10) applied to an individual is specified, wherein the tissue pressure signal (TP) has a sequence of tissue pressure pulse curves (PKi), the method comprising: identifying (S120) at least two individual tissue pressure pulse curves (PKi) in the tissue pressure signal (TP); determining (S150) at least one amplitude parameter (TPP) and an area parameter (TPA) for each identified tissue pressure pulse curve (PKi), wherein the amplitude parameter (TPP) indicates the amplitude of the identified tissue pressure pulse curve (PKi) and the area parameter (TPA) at least indicates one partial area (TPA.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for determining an indicator that is representative of a fluid responsiveness parameter. The indicator is determined based on a fitting of a functional prototype to data values (s0) determined from pulse signals measured over subsequent respiratory cycles. The fitting process is accelerated by a) reducing the number of data values before fitting, b) determining an initial fit parameter value for the functional prototype based on characteristics of the data values and/or a fit parameter value known from a previous fitting, and/or c) carrying out the fitting in several stages, wherein the number of data values used is increased from stage to stage and a fit parameter value determined in a previous stage is used as initial fit parameter value in a current stage. This allows for a faster determination of the fluid responsiveness parameter.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control device for controlling a measurement system for measuring blood pressure and optionally hemodynamic parameters of a subject. In a first measurement time period T1, for measured pressure pulses, features are determined, which characterize the respective pressure pulse. Based on the features, start values are determined and, based on the start values, a start curve TPW_F-curve is formed. The measurement system is controlled such that, after the start curve has reached a first maximum, a second measurement time period T2 succeeds, wherein a blood pressure value is determined based on the pressure measured in the second measurement time period. It has been found that by using the maximum in the first measurement time period for defining a start point for the actual blood pressure measurement, a blood pressure value and optionally also hemodynamic parameters of a subject can be determined very accurately and fast.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control device for controlling a blood pressure measurement system. An applicator applies increasing pressure to a subject's part in a measurement time period, while the pressure (TP) on the skin of the subject's part, which comprises a plurality of pressure pulses (9), is measured. For each pressure pulse of at least some of the plurality of pressure pulses, several features, which characterize the respective pressure pulse, are determined, wherein an end measurement time point (32), at or after which the measurement time period is to be stopped, is determined based on these features, and wherein, when or after the end measurement time point has been reached, i.e. when the measurement time period is to be stopped, the applied pressure is decreased to start the following post-blood-pressure-measurement time period. This allows for a reduced blood pressure measurement time and maximum tissue pressure exerted on the skin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining a stroke volume (SV) of an individual, comprising the steps of: providing a first pulse contour stroke volume based on one or more characteristics of a measured arterial blood pressure waveform or providing a conventionally derived pulse contour stroke volume, determining at least one perfusion parameter descriptive for the perfusion through the fat free mass and the adipose mass of a body of the individual, and/or determining at least one fluid responsiveness parameter function depending on a fluid responsiveness parameter descriptive for a heart-lung interaction of the individual, and adjusting the first pulse contour stroke volume or the conventionally derived pulse contour stroke volume based on at the least one of the perfusion parameter and/or the fluid responsiveness parameter function to provide a second pulse contour stroke volume.