Apple patents cuffless blood pressure check using pressure waves
Apple describes a system that measures blood pressure by applying a changing external pressure to a blood vessel. It uses a sensor to track how the shape of the pulse wave changes during this pressure cycle. The system then calculates blood pressure by finding where two specific pressure trends intersect.
In the filing’s own words
Embodiments include systems and methods for determining blood pressure of a user. Embodiments can include a restriction device that is configured to apply an external pressure cycle to a blood vessel of the user and a pressure sensing device that is configured to detect pressures within the blood vessel during the external pressure cycle and output a signal indicative of the detected pressures. Embodiments can also include a processing device that is configured to receive the signal from the pressure sensing device, determine a first set of pressure values corresponding to minimum pressure values for each pulse pressure wave and determine a second set of pressure values corresponding to pressure upstrokes that occur during a descending pressure phase of a respective pulse pressure wave. The system can determine a blood pressure parameter of the user based on the first set of pressure values and the second set of pressure values.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A system for determining blood pressure of a user comprising: a restriction device configured to apply an external pressure cycle to a blood vessel of the user; a pressure sensing device configured to: detect pressures within the blood vessel during the external pressure cycle; and output a signal indicative of the detected pressures; and a processing device configured to: receive the signal from the pressure sensing device; determine a set of pressure measurements for a set of pulse pressure waves within the blood vessel during the external pressure cycle based on the signal; determine a first set of pressure values, each pressure value in the first set of pressure values corresponding to a minimum pressure value for a respective pulse pressure wave in the set of pulse pressure waves; determine a second set of pressure values, each pressure value in the second set of pressure values corresponding to a pressure upstroke that occurs during a descending pressure phase of the respective pulse pressure wave in the set of pulse pressure waves; determine a first fit parameter defining a first fit line that represents changes in detected pressures of the first set of pressure values over the external pressure cycle; determine a second fit parameter defining a second fit line that represents changes in detected pressures of the second set of pressure values over the external pressure cycle; determine an intersection of the first fit line and the second fit line; and determine a blood pressure parameter of the user using the intersection of the first fit line and the second fit line.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Non-invasive blood pressure measurement techniques based on wave shape change during an external pressure cycle
- Patent number
- US12721532B2
- Application number
- 17354775
- Filed
- Jun 22, 2021
- Granted
- Sep 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 19
Classified under
A61B 5/022 Human necessitiesA61B 3/16 Human necessitiesA61B 5/02108 Human necessitiesMore from Apple in Health & body
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.