STTR Phase I: Smartphone-based blood pressure monitoring via the oscillometric finger pressing method

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to drive hypertension awareness and control rates around the world, through the availability of low-cost, portable blood pressure monitoring. High blood pressure (BP) is a major cardiovascular risk factor that affects up to 1 billion people worldwide. It is treatable, yet hypertension awareness and control rates are low. Ubiquitous BP monitoring technology could improve hypertension management, but existing devices require an inflatable cuff and therefore do not afford anytime, anywhere measurement of BP. The market for a portable, cuff-less blood pressure monitor is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Successful completion of this project via demonstration of measurement accuracy across a broad range of blood pressures will provide the company with a strong position in this large market. Ultimately, the success of this project could translate to much greater awareness and control of hypertension, helping reduce the incidence and burden of cardiovascular disease around the world. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a technology for cuff-less and calibration-free measurement of blood pressure via a button on a smartphone. Existing automated cuff-based monitors are bulky and do not enable anytime, anywhere measurement of BP. The 'oscillometric finger pressing method'is an emerging approach that uses the same measurement principle that is employed by most automatic cuff devices, but instead of inflating a cuff, the user presses his or her finger (and the underlying artery) against a combination of optical and pressure sensors to determine the blood pressure. The objectives of this program are to shrink the current prototype design and validate its accuracy. The proposed R&D plan includes miniaturization of the circuit components to mount them on a single board and optimization of the sensing technology and algorithm to work in a broad range of normotensive and hypertensive individuals. This work will be followed up by a clinical test of the monitor. The resulting device is expected to be small and thin enough to mount to the back of a smartphone and demonstrate clinical-grade accuracy for the measurement of blood pressure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.