I have been looking at a number of online sources for building a blood pressure monitoring system utilizing an Arduino and have been mostly disappointed in them. One project describes using an Arduino to obtain MAP (mean arterial pressure) and then using a couple of calculations to estimate systolic and diastolic pressures. The problem is that based on my own measurements the estimates are pretty far off. Well, my search led me to the Arduino forum where I landed on an article about this very subject. A contributor by the name of jremington gave a great answer to a poster by explaining that blood pressure measurements are done based on a time interval rather than a static value. Then he gave the method of determining the interval: 1/(heartbeat frequency). In my planned project I will use the following formula to obtain an interval in milliseconds: 1000*(60/bpm). It looks like all the suitable pressure sensors and electric valves for a project like this have to be shipped in from China, so I may just get those parts from a spare meter I have at home. The only reason I have any interest in this project is that commercial blood pressure monitors require a paid subscription to a medical service in order to download readings from the meter. By building my own I can move the readings via USB to my computer for storage there...no subscription necessary. Many thanks to jremington for making his knowledge known.
Note that you should not rely on a DIY arduino system for blood pressure monitoring if you depend on the monitor for life.
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Do not be so disappointed. Hunt on eBay for a second-hand big blood pressure monitor. Big enough to keep four high-capacity batteries and your electronics. That way you have a case, battery container, pump, transducer and valve. Rest you should find in your own drawer.
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