A simulator for oscillometric blood-pressure signals to test automated noninvasive sphygmomanometers.

A device was developed allowing to generate simulated human blood pressure signals for the purpose of testing the performance of automated noninvasive sphygmomanometers. The apparatus reproducibly generates blood-pressure oscillations synthesized from prerecorded measurements on human subjects. These real-life data allow for a much better evaluation of the accuracy of blood-pressure measurements than the existing simulators using artificial and thus less realistic waveforms. To assess the performance of a given sphygmomanometer under both stable and varying conditions, generated signals can be repeated in their original shape or distorted by well-defined artifacts. In comparison to clinical tests, the procedural influences on the performance testing of sphygmomanometers are largely reduced when the simulator is used.