Blood pressure signal acquisition using a pressure sensor array

Abstract

A system and method for blood pressure signal acquisition using a pressure sensor array. A solution is provided for a non-inflatable, non-invasive, continuous blood pressure waveform and blood pressure acquisition system. The system is operative to combine signals from various sensing elements where the less accurate sensor elements are calibrated utilizing the more accurate sensor elements. Blood pressure measurements are acquired using very sensitive pressure sensors that detect slight pressure changes through the skin, which are sampled and processed to yield a blood pressure signal, which is processed to yield actual systolic and diastolic continuous and or intermittent blood pressure readings. By sampling and detecting the signal in each of the sensors, the sensor that is best placed on the target artery is found and the signals from that sensor is used to weight the signals from other sensors based on signal quality. The sensor array is placed approximately on the target artery making it highly likely that more than one element will acquire signal from the artery. Combining a plurality of such correlated signals with uncorrelated noise yields a signal to noise enhancement and more accurate blood pressure readings.