Continuous estimation of systolic blood pressure using the pulse arrival time and intermittent calibration.

A continuous noninvasive method of systolic blood pressure estimation is described. Systolic blood pressure is estimated by combining two separately obtained components: a higher frequency component obtained by extracting a specific frequency band of pulse arrival time and a lower frequency component obtained from the intermittently acquired systolic blood pressure measurements with an auscultatory or oscillometric system. The pulse arrival time was determined by the time interval from QRS apex in electrocardiogram to the onset of photoplethysmogram in a fingertip beat-by-beat via an oximetric sensor. The method was examined in 20 patients during cardiovascular surgery. The estimated values of systolic blood pressure were compared with those measured invasively using a radial arterial catheter. The results showed that the correlation coefficients between estimated values and invasively obtained systolic blood pressure reached 0.97 +/- 0.02 (mean +/- SD), and the error remained within +/- 10% in 97.8% of the monitoring period. By using a system with automatic cuff inflation and deflation to acquire intermittent systolic blood pressure values, this method can be applicable for the continuous noninvasive monitoring of systolic blood pressure.