Key result
Novel semi-automatic blood pressure monitor enables low-cost manufacturing for under ~$8 in resource-limited settings.
Why the study?
Hypertension monitoring devices are often inaccessible to low-income individuals due to high costs, creating a need for affordable and accurate solutions.
The development of a semi-automatic blood pressure monitor costing under $8 offers a scalable solution for hypertension screening in resource-constrained settings.
May improve BP monitoring access in low-income settings; leaves open clinical validation before practice adoption.
Hypertension is a major global healthcare challenge, particularly for low-income individuals who often struggle to access monitoring devices. This paper presents the design of a cost-effective, semi-automatic blood pressure monitoring device aimed at improving accessibility for these patients, thereby enhancing preventive care and reducing mortality risks. The proposed design replaces an expensive electric air pump with a manual inflation bulb, while integrating a digital display for accurate pressure readings. The system comprises three key components: a robust electronic circuit, a reliable pneumatic system, and a 3D-printed housing optimized for semi-automatic operation. A notable aspect of this work is the hardware-software integration, which utilizes an inexpensive, single-core Arduino microcontroller (MCU) to achieve precise measurements. Despite relying on affordable components, the device delivers consistent and accurate results, demonstrating the efficiency of the design. The total manufacturing cost of the device is under $8, making it a highly accessible solution for resource-constrained settings. This paper provides comprehensive details of the design and implementation, enabling researchers to replicate the device and explore further improvements, particularly in software optimization and feature expansion. By addressing both affordability and accuracy, this work offers a practical and scalable solution for blood pressure monitoring, contributing to global efforts in preventive healthcare.
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Al-Ayyad et al. (2026) studied Hypertension. Low-cost semi-automatic blood pressure monitoring device was evaluated. A low-cost, semi-automatic blood pressure monitoring device was designed and manufactured for under $8 to improve healthcare accessibility in resource-constrained settings.
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