A new approach for non-intrusive monitoring of blood pressure on a toilet seat

Abstract

Pulse arrival time (PAT) was measured non-intrusively to estimate each individual's blood pressure. Electrocardiogram (ECG) was measured with copper-coated electrodes and photoplethysmogram (PPG) was measured using a specially designed toilet seat apparatus. Non-intrusively measured PATs were compared with PATs measured by the standard method, and the results showed a good correlation. An equation was used to estimate blood pressure from the measured PAT during a training period for each individual. Estimated blood pressures were compared with measured blood pressures in a series of blood pressure varying experiments. For each individual, the estimated blood pressure was similar to the measured blood pressure within a tolerable error range. This method was also practiced for long-term monitoring, and the results show the value of this method for continuous home monitoring of blood pressure.