Abstract: A blood pressure monitor for determining a patient's blood pressure comprises a processor attached to a first input device for receiving an initial input representing the patient's absolute blood pressure, and a noninvasive sensor attached to the patient for measuring at least one physiological function. The processor executes a procedure for evaluating the initial input and the sensed physiological function to determine the patient's blood pressure. A method for determining a patient's blood pressure comprises the steps of storing an initial input representing a patient's absolute blood pressure, noninvasively sensing at least one of the patient's physiological functions, and evaluating the initial input and the sensed input to determine the patient's blood pressure.

Abstract: A sensor that utilizes strips of piezoelectric material to noninvasively measure the surface force/displacement resulting from a blood pressure wave traveling through an artery and transmitted through the arterial wall and overlying tissue, while canceling noise artifact signals is disclosed. Piezoelectric elements create an electrical signal when pressure is applied to their surface. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor is constructed so that there are three sensing elements--a signal sensing element in the center and one noise sensing element on each side of the center element. The center element is placed over an individuals artery, e.g., the radial artery in a persons wrist. When positioned this way, the two noise sensing elements are positioned on each side of the artery.The center element generates a signal that is a function of the pressure wave in the artery, whereas this signal is highly attenuated in the noise sensing elements.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed herein for non-invasively monitoring arterial waveforms, such as the waveform produced by blood flow through the brachial artery in a human subject. The invention includes a unique transducer which senses both a pressure wave proportional to blood flow in the artery and an acoustical signal proportional to the turbulence created by blood flow through a partially occluded artery. The transducer may be cuff mounted for attachment to the subject, and the cuff may be automatically inflated in accordance with the invention.

Abstract: A fully automatic, non-invasive, digitally-controlled blood pressure measuring apparatus is described with LED displays for displaying systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, an inflatable cuff for occluding an artery, a pump for inflating the cuff, a cuff-mounted sensor for detecting Korotkoff sounds, adjustable gain-amplifying apparatus for maintaining linearity of the Korotkoff sound levels over a wide range of human individuals, circuits for automatically determining systolic and diastolic pressure levels and pressure release apparatus for preventing overinflation of the cuff.

Abstract: A non-photographic, digital laser image recording and reading method and apparatus for recording and reading visual, two-dimensional replicas or representations of objects, pictures, illustrations, computer outputs and the like. A flat-field twin objective is employed to project the image of a laser beam focused to a diffraction limited spot on a radiation sensitive material, e.g., a heat ablatable or vaporizable recording medium to create a two-dimensional ensemble of holes in the recording medium. The recording medium comprises thin metallic films carried on flat substrates which are moving at constant speed or are immovably held while the image of the diffraction limited spot is scanned thereover by angularly deflecting the laser beam entering the twin objective. The visual laser record is an instantaneous replica of an original image or its computer processed binary equivalent.