Introduction

After over a decade, a team of researchers at Caltech University have created a method to accurately measure a patient’s blood pressure whilst causing little to no discomfort. A device based on this new method is hoped to make checking vitals easier at home, in hospitals and remote locations where it may be difficult. They hope that their invention and method will make a great clinical impact on the world and help solve a real-world problem.

What is this new method?

These Caltech researchers’ technique is called resonance sonomanometry. The prototype device uses this technique to measure the patients’ blood pressure. The device is currently being built and tested by company, Esperto Medical. Kimm Fesenmaier wrote, “[The device] is housed in a transducer case smaller than a deck of cards and is mounted on an armband, though the researchers say it could eventually fit within a package the size of a watch or adhesive patch”. The hardworking team is determined for the device to be used in hospitals where it could easily connect by a wire to the standard hospital monitors.

How does this method work?

This method, resonance sonomanometry, uses sound waves to lightly activate resonance in a specific artery. After that, it then uses ultrasound imaging to measure the artery’s resonance frequency, giving an accurate and clear measure of the patient’s blood pressure. In a small test study done by the Caltech researchers, the device that uses resonance sonomanometry gives patients a gentle buzzing feeling on their skin. This resulted in measurements that were very similar to the standard, everyday blood pressure cuff.

Caltech’s Impact

The team of Caltech researchers’ work will have a tremendous impact on the medical field and help many get accurate, clear results in a simple, noninvasive way. “We ended up with a device that is able to measure the absolute blood pressure—not only the systolic and diastolic numbers that we are used to getting from blood pressure cuffs—but the full waveform,” says Yaser Abu-Mostafa (PhD ’83), professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

By:

Aarush Vajha