Abstract: A CPU 9 controls an air supplying/discharging device to set a pressure of air within a-cuff to 60 mmHg for 60 seconds before making a blood pressure measurement, detects pulse waves of the cuff pressure for such period of time, and calculates a degree of stability of the detected pulse waves. When a blood pressure measurement is made, the CPU reduces the cuff pressure by a step pressure reducing operation whose step duration corresponds to the calculated degree of stability.

Abstract: An apparatus for evaluating a blood-ejecting function of a heart of a living subject, including a pressure pulse wave sensor which is adapted to be worn on a body portion of the subject to detect a pressure pulse wave which is produced from an artery of the subject in synchronism with a heartbeat of the subject, a first determining device for determining a first value of an index corresponding to a systolic area which is defined by a waveform of a first heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the pressure pulse wave detected by the pressure pulse wave sensor before the subject undergoes a physical exercise, a second determining device for determining a second value of the index corresponding to a systolic area which is defined by a waveform of a second heartbeat-synchronous pulse of the pressure pulse wave detected by the pressure pulse wave sensor after the subject undergoes the physical exercise, and an evaluating device for evaluating the blood-ejecting function of the heart of the subject, based on the determined

Abstract: When it is judged by a blood-pressure-abnormality judging means that a first blood pressure value determined by a first blood pressure determining means, based on a pulse-synchronous signal produced while a pressure of a cuff is slowly increased, is abnormal, a second blood pressure value is determined by a second blood pressure determining means without needing another first blood pressure value determination. Thus, it is possible to eliminate the time necessary for decreasing and re-increasing the pressure of the cuff, thereby reducing the discomfort of the patient. Additionally, since the present blood pressure measuring apparatus can measure a second blood pressure value relatively speedily, it does not need a device for removing noise from the signal.

Abstract: After an initial blood pressure measurement using a cuff 2 has been made, not only a pulse wave propagation time Tt is counted consecutively, but also a pulse wave propagation time change .DELTA.T is calculated every time the pulse wave propagation time Tt is counted and compared with a pulse wave propagation change threshold .DELTA.Ts. When the pulse wave propagation time change .DELTA.T exceeds the pulse wave propagation time change threshold .DELTA.Ts, not only a blood pressure value BPt is measured with the cuff 2, but also a pulse wave propagation time Tt.sub.1 is counted. If there are at least two sets of data, each set of data consisting of a blood pressure value BPt and a pulse wave propagation time Tt.sub.1, coefficients .alpha., .beta. specific to a subject are calculated from such two sets of data by a least-squares method. Then, the pulse wave propagation time change threshold .DELTA.Ts is calculated from the coefficient .alpha., and the current pulse wave propagation time change threshold .DELTA.

Abstract: A blood pressure monitor apparatus including a blood pressure measuring device which includes a cuff and measures a blood pressure value of a living subject by changing a pressing pressure of the cuff applied to a body portion of the subject, an estimated blood pressure determining device for successively determining an estimated blood pressure value of the subject, based on each of successive sets of actual pulse-wave propagation information, according to a predetermined relationship between blood pressure and pulse-wave propagation information, a pulse period measuring device which successively measures a period of a pulse of the subject, a peripheral pulse wave detecting device which detects a peripheral pulse wave from a peripheral body portion of the subject, a pulse-wave area calculating device for successively calculating an area defined by a waveform of a pulse of the peripheral pulse wave detected by the peripheral pulse wave detecting device, and a blood pressure measurement starting device for star