Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer clamped onto the fingertip with a fixed pressure yields an indirect continuous blood pressure waveform that can be used to monitor a patient's blood pressure characteristics over extended periods of time and during most normal daily activities. There are two modes that this invention can operate in: absolute and relative pressure modes. In the absolute mode, a patient-calibrated clamping pressure is applied to hold the transducer in place and to cancel artifact. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure are taken directly from the measured waveforms. The systolic pressure equals the maximum peak pressure minus the clamping pressure. The diastolic pressure equals the minimum pressure minus the clamping pressure.

Abstract: Clamping a piezoelectric transducer onto the arm produces a signal whose integration with respect to time corresponds directly to the energy produced by the arm's movement. By clamping four (4) such transducers onto the body, one on each arm and one on each leg, the total integration of the four (4) signals gives a measure of the total energy spent in motion by the body. The desired body energy spent can be displayed quantitatively by first converting the integrated signal into a pulse train, then counting the pulses, and then driving a display with the counter's value.