Apple has now applied for several patents relating to future Blood pressure taking device designs since 2018 as covered in these reports: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 and 06. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published yet another patent application from Apple relating to a blood pressure device titled “Blood Pressure Measurement Using Device with Piezoelectric Sensor.”
Apple’s invention covers systems, devices, methods, and apparatuses that are directed to blood pressure measurement devices having one or more piezoelectric sensors for determining blood pressure measurements.
One embodiment may take the form of a blood pressure measurement device that includes a cuff configured to extend around an arm of a user. The cuff may include an inflatable bladder. The blood pressure measurement device may further include a pump configured to inflate the inflatable bladder to occlude a blood vessel of the user. The blood pressure measurement device may further include a piezoelectric sensor coupled to the cuff and configured to detect blood flow through the arm of the user and output a first signal corresponding to the blood flow.
The blood pressure measurement device may further include a capacitive sensor coupled to the inflatable bladder and configured to provide a second signal corresponding to a pressure applied to the arm of the user by the cuff and a processing unit operably coupled to the piezoelectric sensor and configured to determine a blood pressure of the user using the first signal and the second signal.
Another embodiment may take the form of a blood pressure measurement device that includes a cuff comprising an inflatable bladder. The blood pressure measurement device may further include a processing unit configured to cause the inflatable bladder to inflate to an inflated state.
The cuff may be configured to occlude an artery of a user when the inflatable bladder is in the inflated state. The processing unit may be further configured to cause the inflatable bladder to deflate during a deflation sequence.
The blood pressure measurement device may further include a differential polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensor coupled to the inflatable bladder and configured to output a signal during the deflation sequence, the signal corresponding to blood flow through the artery.
The processing unit may be further configured to filter the signal to isolate an oscillometric waveform and a biological waveform, analyze the oscillometric waveform to determine at least one of a systolic blood pressure, a diastolic blood pressure, or a mean arterial pressure, and analyze the biological waveform to determine a biological parameter of the user.
Apple’s patent FIG. 1 below illustrates an example blood pressure measurement device as worn by a user; FIG. 2 illustrates the example blood pressure measurement device of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration.
Apple’s patent FIG. 3 below is a chart that illustrates how isolated waveforms may be correlated to a pressure signal to determine oscillometric and/or auscultatory blood pressure measurements; FIG. 7 illustrates an example blood pressure monitoring device with multiple piezoelectric sensors.
For more details, review Apple’s patent application number 20220054020.
Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
