Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

Software for Analysis of Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Time-series Data from the Valsalva Maneuver
Published on: June 27, 2025
Blood pressure estimation using maximum slope of oscillometric pulses
Majid Mafi1, Sreeraman Rajan, Miodrag Bolic
1School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. mmafi080@site.uottawa.ca
Abstract:
A new oscillometric pulse index (OPI) derived from the maximum slope (MS) of each pulse in the oscillometric blood pressure waveform is proposed for blood pressure estimation. Maximum slope for each pulse is obtained using the first derivative of the pulse and an envelope of the values corresponding to the maximum slopes is obtained. The maximum of the envelope is taken as the mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) estimates are obtained as a fraction of the MAP, similar to the traditional maximum amplitude algorithm (MAA). The proposed algorithm is tested on 18 healthy subjects. The MAP, SBP and DBP estimates obtained from the proposed algorithm are compared with those obtained from a commercial blood pressure device and with the estimates obtained using the MAA and morphological qualitative measures available in the literature.
Related Concept Videos
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(two-step method)
Sites for measuring blood pressure
The Brachial Artery: Primary Site for Blood Pressure Measurement
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
Assessing Blood pressure using a doppler ultrasound
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Doppler Ultrasound Blood Pressure Assessment:
Preparation of Equipment:
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure:
Measurement of Blood Pressure

