Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension
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Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is essential in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, but neither auscultatory nor oscillometric methods measure intra-arterial BP accurately in all circumstances. Algorithms for automatic BP-measuring devices differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, and no clear authorized algorithm criteria have yet been established. We have devised a double-cuff sphygmotonometer to measure BP on the basis of clear algorithms, and investigated the accuracy of this new method by comparing it with the photo-oscillometric method, which is the most accurate method for non-invasive measurement of intra-arterial BP. ⋯ The comparison based on procedures of AAMI-protocol was performed in 136 hypertensive patients and 54 normotensive subjects. The difference in systolic BP between the photooscillometric and double-cuff methods was -2.26+/-2.31 mmHg (89% under 5 mmHg), and the corresponding difference in diastolic BP was 1.9+/-2.50 mmHg (94% under 5 mmHg). In conclusion, we have devised a new double-cuff method which improves on the photo-oscillometric method, and although it seems to be less accurate than the photo-oscillometric method, the clarity of its algorithm makes it superior to the conventional oscillometric and auscultatory methods employing only one cuff.