# Developing a blood pressure device for EMS



## Kage (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm working with a group that develops automated blood pressure technology for specific applications. They're looking at developing an automated BP monitor specifically for EMS applications to fill a gap between manual aneroid cuffs and the NIBP on large defib monitors.They're thinking of a handheld, portable digital automated monitor that can handle motion tolerance during transport.

They've asked me about what other things it should do to make life easier for EMTs. I was thinking of rapid inflate, multiple reading memory, retractable or coiled hose for easy handling. I'd like to give them more if y'all have more ideas.


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## dragonjbynight (Oct 6, 2009)

selectable timed readings, Able to set it to automatically read every 2min,     5min 10min etc so that when your doing other things, you can still have an accurate monitoring system.


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## ki4mus (Oct 6, 2009)

Stick to manual aneroid cuffs, automated systems need batteries and that's one more thing that can die or just plain get lost. Then NiBP's on our ZOLL's and Pro-paq's are only reliable 1/2 the time to the point that alot of us bought our own with our own money to carrie on the trucks... The fewer things on the truck that use batteries or electric power the better.

Technolygy os nice but there is a point where for the good of our profestion we need to stop. During a disaster drill a couple months ago I watched 10 nurses having to be shown how to take a BP again becouse they forgot.....Technology is NOT always the answer....


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## Akulahawk (Oct 6, 2009)

Selectable intervals for serial reading: 1 min, 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min and 1 hr. 
Quickly changeable/detachable cuffs. One size does NOT fit all...
Quickly mountable to the cot...
Manual backup inflation/gauge provision. If the electronic brain or pump fail, you want to be able to continue using it.
Able to use various power sources: 120 VAC, 12 VDC, On-Board battery that can charge when plugged to power supply.
Able to swap out depleted batteries quickly. 
External/separate battery charger, for maintaining "hot" spares...
Ruggedly made so that if you accidentally knock it off the back bench seat onto the ground, or it's thrown out of the unit on the ground (because you need lot of equipment rapidly) it'll survive and function properly. 
Oh, and it needs to be able to handle doing BP's on battery for about 3 hours, at one about every 2-3 minutes.

Not to mention clinically accurate... even during transport...

Tall enough order?

And make it affordable enough so that ambulance companies will want to acquire them for all their units...


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## Akulahawk (Oct 6, 2009)

Because things do fail... I also carry my own BP cuff set...


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## cruzJD (Oct 6, 2009)

I can see the cot mount for places that do a lot of PT transports but we hardly ever do them so I would go for a wall mount.  I have at least a 20 min transport time on my runs so this would be nice.

I would do my best to get them on our trucks if; 
12 vdc with battery back up
selectable cycle intervals 2 and 5 min
last 5 to 10 memory reading
quick change cuffs
wall mountable
gave a tinny beep before it cycled
have a irregular plus light
sp02 finger reader
5 year warranty


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## redcrossemt (Oct 6, 2009)

Speaking of this, is anyone using the Ramsey StatMAP?

http://www.statmap.net/index.html


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## Markhk (Oct 7, 2009)

Can anyone really afford one of those things? It's pretty pricey...


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## Summit (Oct 7, 2009)

Make it work in the cold


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## Foxbat (Oct 7, 2009)

Easily cleanable. I have a feeling that any retractable parts will provide much space for dirt and pathogens to hide (not to mention a lot of users will probably not pull it out all the way for cleaning).
I'm not sure how automatic cuffs work but I think they can detect heartbeat; would be nice if they could display heart rate.


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## firetender (Oct 8, 2009)

This applies to more than just the BP cuff.

Would someone PLEASE explain to me how there is any advantage whatsoever to the bells, whistles, learning curve, knowledge that not if but when it'll glitch out, and "Gee, let's waste another minute making sure we program the thing right," an improvement over a typical, aneroid wrap-it-around-the-arm-and-inflate BP apparatus? I had maybe two break on me in 12 years.

*I see it as more time spent with the machine, and less with the patient,* not to mention offering just one more justification for skyrocketing costs. What is the _real _advantage other than tidy profits for the marketers?

(The only reason I said anything is because I couldn't beleive how quickly so many of you made such a simple process overwhelmingly complex.)


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## ki4mus (Oct 8, 2009)

firetender said:


> This applies to more than just the BP cuff.
> 
> Would someone PLEASE explain to me how there is any advantage whatsoever to the bells, whistles, learning curve, knowledge that not if but when it'll glitch out, and "Gee, let's waste another minute making sure we program the thing right," an improvement over a typical, aneroid wrap-it-around-the-arm-and-inflate BP apparatus? I had maybe two break on me in 12 years.
> 
> ...



The only advantage is for lazy providers that don't want to pump a cuff up by hand....We have the NIBP's on our ZOLLs but most of us don't trust them...much less use them.


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## MCGLYNN_EMTP (Oct 8, 2009)

Why don't we just take manual BP's???
You know it's accurate...and I find I can get a BP manualy faster than the electronic BP machine can anyway...best of both worlds...If only I had another set of hands to start the IV while i take that BP...That's the only advantage of Electronic BP..it frees your hands up


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## Akulahawk (Oct 8, 2009)

I prefer to do the initial BP manually, if I have NIBP available. It tells me more about the patient than just "the numbers"... afterward, if I put the patient on the NIBP, I'll have a baseline manual reading to compare to. If the numbers match up closely enough, I'll trust the NIBP machine for that patient. Even if I have a partner or some other person on scene take the BP, I'll certainly get around to doing a BP of my own. 

In many ways, I simply view this as "task delegation". In a way, it matters little to me if a machine or a person does it. I'm delegating that task out so that I can get on with other portions of my assessment tasks.


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## atropine (Oct 9, 2009)

Whats the point to this new development, I mean cash is strapped as it is.


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