Experimental investigation on pressure transmission underneath blood pressure cuffs of different types using an arm simulator

Thirty-seven blood pressure cuffs constructed with different fabrics, grouped into eight structural sub-types, are selected to investigate their relative effects on potential measurements of blood pressure using indirect method. A physical arm simulator is developed by integrating artificial tissues and an artificial artery (in which a liquid mimicking blood is passed through) together which possess mechanical properties and size similar to human upper limb. Phenomena of indirect blood pressure measurement are simulated on a physical arm using current standard guidelines of blood pressure measurement. Pressure inside each of the thirty-seven cuffs (corresponding to the systolic and diastolic phases) is then determined. The results showed that the variations are found in inside-cuff pressures among cuffs of different types. For inside-cuff pressure, the average inside-cuff pressure varied between 13 and 23 mmHg among the selected cuffs of different types. Results of this study also revealed that the variation in mechanical and geometric properties of the constructing fabrics lead to variation in pressure transmission underneath the cuffs and over the arm which may cause variation in blood pressure measurement in human subjects. The mechanical and geometric properties of the fabrics selected for blood pressure cuff construction should be known to be able to apply recognized pattern of pressure around the limb for accurate estimation of blood pressure values.