A New Cuffless Device for Measuring Blood Pressure: A Real-Life Validation Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Technology
• Health Monitoring Devices

Background:

• Cuffless blood pressure (BP) monitoring devices utilize pulse transit time for easier, faster, and cheaper BP measurement.
• These devices present a viable alternative to traditional cuff-based BP monitors for self-measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the real-world performance of the Checkme Health Monitor, a novel cuffless BP monitor.
• To investigate the impact of volunteer posture and device position relative to heart level on BP measurement accuracy.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 37 volunteers with varying BP ranges, adhering to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol.
• Systolic BP was measured using the Checkme device and a reference monitor (RM) in randomized supine and sitting positions.
• The influence of device placement at and above heart level was also assessed.

Main Results:

• BP results from the Checkme device correlated well with the reference monitor.
• In the supine position, significant differences (>5 mmHg) were observed in 46% of participants, with 14% showing differences >15 mmHg.
• Calibration position (supine) showed better correlation.

Conclusions:

• The Checkme cuffless BP monitor demonstrated promising correlation with a reference device, especially when calibrated in the supine position.
• Preliminary findings support further research into cuffless BP monitoring in clinical and outpatient settings.