This article presents a prototype of a new, non-invasive, cuffless, self-calibrating blood pressure measuring device equipped with a pneumatic pressure sensor. The developed sensor has a double function: it measures the waveform of blood pressure and calibrates the device. The device was used to conduct proof-of-concept measurements on 10 volunteers. The main novelty of the device is the pneumatic pressure sensor, which works on the principle of a pneumatic nozzle flapper amplifier with negative feedback. The developed device does not require a cuff and can be used on arteries where cuff placement would be impossible (e.g., on the carotid artery). The obtained results showed that the systolic and diastolic pressure measurement errors of the proposed device did not exceed ±6.6% and ±8.1%, respectively.
Keywords: blood pressure measurement; blood pressure waveform; pneumatic sensor; sensor calibration.