Wearable blood pressure monitor: portable and fashionable

We've seen some wild ideas when it comes to blood pressure -- including, yes, underpants -- but this newest device, a small monitor attached to the hand, which can be worn 24 hours a day for continuous monitoring, strikes us as having the potential for extreme usefulness. The monitor works differently than regular old blood pressure cuff, using a method called pulse wave velocity, which measures the pulse at two points along an artery. Built by a team of engineers at MIT, this prototype could boast a lot of advantages over monitors, including its portability, its ability to see long-term patterns of rises and falls in pressure, and of course -- you wouldn't have to be at the doctor's office to use it -- which is bound to take a little stress out of the equation. The device is moving toward commercial production and Harry Asada, leader of the MIT team, sees the possibility for monitoring conditions such as sleep apnea in the future as well.

[Kris S. @ Apr 10th 2009 2:48PM]

I think that device is choking that mans pinkie.

[Johann @ Apr 10th 2009 3:18PM]

His pinky does look quite purple.

[FILA @ Apr 10th 2009 2:51PM]

as he test his blood pressure after he wanks with that hand

[shiftyeyedgoat @ Apr 10th 2009 2:55PM]

We built something similar to this in college (Georgia Tech) for a bioinstrumentation course.

What we did was use a simple circuit mechanism to close a sphigmomanometer (BP cuff) on the thumb or bicep which would then slowly release and return the auscultatory vibrations from the eventual blood passage through the cuff.

It was small, cheap, and ultimately for a grade, so we didn't bother patenting the idea. Oops.

[Kevin McMurphy @ Apr 10th 2009 3:11PM]

Shame. It'd be nice to have a few more GT wins over MIT.

[kj @ Apr 10th 2009 4:36PM]

Two words: Prior art. Bust MIT's patent wide open!

[rube @ Apr 10th 2009 3:27PM]

"portable and fashionable"

I thought that was hilarious

[bill cant fart @ Apr 10th 2009 3:30PM]

I'm gonna get one for each arm! And I don't even have blood pressure problems!

[mugupo @ Apr 10th 2009 3:32PM]

One step closer to Terminator.

[AMiSH PiRATE @ Apr 11th 2009 2:29AM]

I am Locutus of Borg.

[PhunkyDork @ Apr 10th 2009 4:12PM]

It turned his pinky finger purple. No thank you.

[TIMMAH! @ Apr 10th 2009 4:20PM]

"Shoots a web... any size..."

[steve @ Apr 10th 2009 5:28PM]

hahaha. glorious

[mikey @ Apr 10th 2009 4:29PM]

Some of the folks arguing in the "Microsoft Ad" comment threads could take advantage of something like this.

[Sirocco @ Apr 10th 2009 5:37PM]

I don't get the point of this device. If you're blood pressure is so volatile that you need this device, you already know you have a serious problem, so what is it that you're trying to do by wearing it? The device itself doesn't maintain a stable blood pressure, so it's not as if it has some protective or therapeutic effect. And blood pressure can already be measured remotely. I suppose it could be used for biofeedback exercises, but can't that be done already, without further investments that just drive up the cost of health care? The cost/benefit of health care in this country is much less favorable in this country (the USA) than many others already, why make it worse?

[andres @ Apr 10th 2009 6:00PM]

it helps if you at least RTFA

", its ability to see long-term patterns of rises and falls in pressure"

[SiXiam @ Apr 10th 2009 5:46PM]

In the ICU's they have devices that go in your arteries that measure your blood pressure.

They also have (in the hospitals) an automated blood pressure cuff that measures your blood pressure and pulse at regular intervals.

[They Are Coming For Us! @ Apr 10th 2009 6:48PM]

It looks like some kind of weapon MacGyver would put together on the fly. A makeshift stun-gun or something. Man...MacGyver was so awesome.

[shahfik @ Apr 10th 2009 9:20PM]

Such a device already exist in the market. http://www.healthstats.com/en/bpro-intro.html

[Brendan H @ Apr 10th 2009 10:01PM]

Just the thing for the Borg on the go.

[Jayse @ Apr 10th 2009 10:24PM]

aren't forearm measurements a lot less accurate than upper arm measurements?

[rita hainsworth @ Apr 11th 2009 5:38AM]

...embarrassed by the sight of her blood pressure monitor, Mrs Smith, who suffers from high blood pressure, had a stroke earlier today and died.

[Major4Play @ Apr 11th 2009 8:36AM]

Sorry to break it to you but they already exist, My doctor sent me home with one last year and it looks alot better than this monster.

[Jon @ Apr 11th 2009 11:19AM]

fashionable? well try wearing this at the airport and you'll get surrounded by security guards, never mind the fashion "runway" (excuse the pun)...

[Ashutosh @ Apr 12th 2009 12:45AM]

It looks more robotic but I feel that wearing such a device for almost 24 hours would be not easy at all.

[CartoonChris @ Apr 13th 2009 12:10PM]

Designed by Peter Parker?

[SP @ Jun 28th 2009 9:11AM]

This should be built into an iPhone arm band that transmits data to an iPhone app. You could then merge, map and analyze this data along with all the other data collected from heart monitors and foot pods. This would give athletes unprecedented feedback for conditioning and optimum performance.