Benefits of the blood pressure pen

摘要

A recent study published by the University of Tasmania has found that a pen-like blood pressure measuring device offers a medically superior alternative to the typical blood pressure cuff. It was found that it provided more accurate measures of blood pressure, which resulted in reduced use of blood pressure medication by those in the study. Developed by AtCor Medical, the SphygmoCor CP is a non-invasive instrument. The pen is placed on the patients wrist where it measures the artery's pressure wave using a radial pressure sensor. Software then processes this data into an ascending aortic pressure wave, which can then be used to determine a variety of cardiovascular information. Authors of the study believed the trial broke new ground. They said "this is the first randomised trial specifically designed to test the efficacy of using central blood pressure monitoring to guide therapy in patients with hypertension".