Table 1.
Cuff-less devices for BP monitoring.
| BP measurement method | Calibration needs | Vital sign measurements provided | Duration of measurement | Connectivity | Level of validation | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS | |||||||
| My BP Lab | PTT | Required with validated cuff-based device before use | SBP, DBP | 10 s | Users have to consent to be a part of a research study on the app when using it. Data is shared with researchers at UCSF | No published validation studies | Free to download from Google Play store |
| Instant Blood Pressure | Not disclosed | Not required | SBP, DBP | 10 s | Data stored on smartphone local memory | Did not meet AAMI guidelines in non-ambulatory setting (17) | $4.99* |
| WEARABLES | |||||||
| Heartisans Watch | PTT | Required with validated cuff-based device before first use | SBP, DBP, HR, HR, EKG, Pedometer | 20 s | Connects with smartphone application through Bluetooth | No published validation studies | $150 |
| BPro | Tonometry | Required with validated cuff-based device before use | SBP, DBP, HR, Pulse Waveform | Continuous measurement | Data sent to secure cloud server through bluetooth | AAMI and ESH validated in non-ambulatory setting and in ambulatory setting modest agreement with oscillometric cuff (22, 23) | $2,000 |
| TRICORDERS | |||||||
| Freescan | PTT | Not required | SBP, DBP, HR, EKG, Pulse waveform | 10 s | Connects with smartphone through Bluetooth, data can be stored on a cloud server | AAMI validated in non-ambulatory setting | $225 |
| Bodimetrics | PTT | Required with validated cuff-based device before use; recalibration every three months | SBP, HR, SpO2, EKG, Temperature, Pedometer | 20 s | Connects with smartphone through Bluetooth | Failed to meet ESH guidelines in unconventional non-ambulatory validation study (25) | $299 |
| SOMNOtouch | PTT | Required with validated cuff-based device before first use | SBP, DBP, HR, SpO2, EKG, Sleep Patterns (Actigraph) | Continuous measurement | Data can be transferred to a PC via a USB docking station or sent to a tablet via BlueTooth | ESH validated in non-ambulatory setting (28) | $5,200 |
*
Not for sale anymore. BP, blood pressure; PTT, Pulse Transit Time; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; EKG, electrocardiogram; HR, hearty rate; SpO2, oxygen saturation; UCSF, University of California, San Francisco; AAMI, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation; ESH, European Society of Hypertension.