US1900285A - Sphygmomanometer - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1933. w. IfHUBER I SPHYGMOMANOMETER Filed July 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l RED BLUE

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GREEN WHRD-I' HUBER March 7, 1933. w, l. HUBER SPHYGMOMANOMETER Filed July 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet awuewloz whnn r- HUBER VII/fr/Illll/l/I/lll/Il!lllllIlI/ll/III affozncaa .blood in the artery,

Patented Mar. 7, 1933 'jUNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE- WARD I. HUBER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO W. I. HUBER, IN 0., OF CLEVELAND, C 4 OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO I SPHYGMOMANOMETEB Application filed July 9,

, My invention relates to sphygmomanom'e ters, or instruments for measuring the pressure of the blood in an artery, and the object of the invention is to provide a very simple instrument .wherewith pressure may be applied gradually to an artery and thence directly to a column of mercury to indicate visibly the pulsation and pressure of the readings being obtained by suitable measuring graduations or a scale placed opposite the mercury column. As

. constructed the instrument is relatively small,

so that it may be carried by a physician in his vest pocket, the same as a pocket thermom- .eter, pencil or fountain pen, and in use it is held uprightand pressed by hand against an artery, preferably the radial artery of the wrist, the pressure being confined to a spot or small localized area, and yielding means,

such as a flexible diaphragm or a small com- 7 pressible bulb, being used to respond sensitively to the beatings of the pulse and to act on the mercury or other indicating means.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sphygmomanometer constructed according to my invention and as applied to the pulse in taking blood pressure readings. Fig. 2 is a front view of the instrument, and Fig. 3 is a similar view with the measuring scale elevated to bring the zero or base mark in register with the level of the mercury column. Fig.4 is a side elevation of the instrument, and Fig. 5 a sectional view vertically thereof on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views of the upper and lower ends of the instrument, respectively. Fig. 8 is a cross section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, and Figs. 9 and 10 are cross sections on line 9-9 of Fig. 3, showing the instrument in open andclosed positions, respectively. Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional and end views of a modified form of instrument,

and Figs. 13 to 15, inclusive, are sectional views of other modified forms of the invention.

Referring to Sheet 1 of the drawings, the n instrument delineated therein comprises a barrel 2 made of metal, glass, hard rubber or a suitable composition of material, which is open at one side for a part of its length and 1927. Serial N0. 204,469.

aflixedat its lower end to a knurled cylindri- ("I cury may be in sufiicient amount to stand within the lower part of the tube level with a marker graduation on scale S when the flexible wall or diaphragm portion of member 5, is fully distended by the weight of the mercury. In this particular form of instrument the wall :or diaphragm of member 5 includes or comprises a central cylindrical extension 7 having a fiatcontact or pressure-applying end 9 of fixed area, either round, elliptical, or other shape, but adapted to engagethe skin and compress a definite spot or localized ar-eavin an arm or other part of a persons body opposite an artery therein, say at the wrist as exemplified in I Fig. 1. By pressing downwardly on the instrument the artery itself is compressed and a diastolic reading may be taken when the mercury rises in glass tube 6 and the maxi-' mum pulsation or beating of the artery causes the mercury column to pulsate or beat correspondingly. Upon increasing the pressure gradually the mercury will continue to rise in tube 6 to successively higher levels and marks on the scale until a systolic reading may be taken at the instant pulsation ceases, that is, when the pulsating movement or tremor of the mercury stops and is no longer visible through the transparent tube. The graduations on the scale may be numbered or lettered for measuring the blood pressure in an artery according to accepted standards, and also divided into differently colored zones at different elevations to permit quick reading of blood pressure conditions. For example, the lower zone or bottom portion of the scale maybe colored green to indicate a zone of low blood pressure, the l next zone or higher series of marks may ap pear on a white ground toindicate a zone of normal blood pressure. The third zone may be colored blue to denote high blood pressure, and the highest or top zone may be red to denote dangerously high blood pressure.

The upper end of barrel 2 contains a supporting member 10 for the upper end of glass tube 6, a packing ring 11 serving to seal the joint therebetween. Member 10 is counterbored to provide a valve chamber 11. having a vent plug 12 at its top and a venting slot 14 at its bottom. A ball 15 is-confined within chamber 11, but this ball does not close 'slot 14 when seated; it only acts as a valve member when lifted by the mercury against the tapered bottom of vent plug 12. Closure of the upper end of the mercury tube may be accomplished in other ways, and therefore I do not limit myself to this specific venting and closing device as shown.

Scale member S is semi-circular in cross section and of a diameter to tit and rotate Within barrel '2, and it is also supported to slide longitudinally within the barrel, one edge thereof being connected by a pin 16 to an outer tube 17 which is sleeved over barrel 2 and free to turn and slide in respect thereto. One side of this outer tube or sleeve 17 is open lengthwise thereof to correspond with the open side of barrel 2, whereby the glass tube and the scale member may be exposed to view when the openings are in register, but covered and protected when the outer tube or sleeve 17 is rotated one hundred and eighty degrees, see Fig. 10. Pin 16 extends through a slot or notch 18 in one edge of the semi-circular wall H of barrel 2 to permit the scale member to be shifted longitudinally of the barrel. when the protecting sleeve 17 is turned to a fully .open position. Sleeve 17 may therefore be moved lengthwise on barrel 2, and the scale S shifted in corresponding degree, thus permitting a preliminary setting of the scale in respect to the head or top of the column of mercury. For instance, the top of the mercury column may not be in register with the starting mark on scale S, say mark 50 as in Fig. 2, but the scale may be raised by upward shifting of. sleeve 17 until mark 50 and the top of the mercury column coincide as in Fig. 3.

Other embodiments of the invention are delineated on Sheet 2 of the drawings. Thus an exceptionally desirable form of instrument .is shown in Figs. 11 and 12, comprising a mercuryv tube 19 having an enlargement or well 20 at its lower end .in open communication with a compressible bulb 21 which is secured to the base part 22 of the instrument by a coupling nut23 or equivalent means.

Bulb 21 may be made of rubber or other suitable material adapted to permit the side Walls to yield or collapse when the instrument is pressed downwardly over or against an artery, thereby forcing the mercury upwardly within the glass tube in corresponding de gree. In so doing it is highly desirable to effect a marked jumping or pulsating movement of the mercury in the tube, and this result is obtained by making the diaphragm portion or applicator area or Wall 2 ofthe bulb relatively thin and flexible to receive and transmit the beatings of the pulse or artery while the stiffer corner portions 25 of the bulb apply a stronger pressure to the artery and effect constriction thereof. In other words,

the edge portion of the applicator isused as an artery constrictor, and the central part of the applicator is used as a sensitive transmitter for the pulse beats. As a result the pulse beats become plainly visible in the tube during the rise of the mercury column in the tube. The contact face or diaphragm portion of the applicator is also preferably longer than it is wide, say of elliptical shape, to more effectively span the artery and to provide a free flexing pulse-beat transmitter. The pulsating movement of the mercury in the glass tube is also increased or made more distinct by using a bore of reduced diameter in the upper part of the tube and by providing a well in the lower end thereof. The up per end of this instrument also contains a valved vent device 26.

In Fig. 13, I show a pressure applicator and beat transmitter 27 made of thin metal and corrugated or pleated to permit it to freely expand and collapse. In Fig. 14 the hollow base part 31 of the instrument contains a hollow piston 32 and a spring 33, the bottom opening in the piston being closed by a thin web or wall 34 of rubber or other flexible material. The circular bottom edge 35 of this piston serves to apply pressure in a circle to the arm and an artery therein, while the. wall or diaphragm 34 acts as a transmitter for the pulse beats. In Fig. 15, a glass tube 36 extends into a mercury chamber 37 in a hollow base 38 having an air duct 39 extending from the top of said chamber downwardly to an air chamber 40 the bottom wall 41 of whichis, made of rubber or other yielding material whereby a yielding constricting pressure may be applied to an artery and the air in lower chamber 40 compressed sufficiently to displace the mercury in upper chamber 37 and.

member and communicating with the bottom of said tube for constricting an artery and transferring the pulsations of the artery to the fluid in said tube.

In testimony whereof I aflix mylsignature.

WARD I. UBER.

1. A sphygmomanometer, comprising a transparent tube and a collapsible device at the bottom of said tube containing mercury, the lower wall of said device forming a yieldable closure member adapted to displace a part of the mercury and cause it to rise in the tube under pressure, said device having a pressure-applying side-wall of greater stiffness than the lower wall of said device adapted to compress a blood vessel, and means at the upper end of said tube adapted to automatically open and close the same.

2. A sphygmomanometer, comprising a transparent tube having measuring indicia lengthwise thereof, a collapsible device at the bottom of said tube including integral portions of suflicient stiffness to apply a constricting pressure to an artery, and integral portions of less stiffness than said first portions to transfer the pulsations of the artery while it is being constricted, and a fluid within said tube exposed to said device and adapted to be displaced by the movements of both portions thereof.

3. A sphygmomanometer, comprising a transparent tube having a collapsible device at its bottom containing mercury, the bottom of said device being a yieldable diaphragm, and the walls surrounding said diaphragm being of greater stiffness than said diaphragm and adapted to be used for constricting a blood vessel, and the upper part of said tube being open to atmospheric pressure.

4. A sphygmomanometer, comprising a slotted barrel, a slotted sleeve rotatably mounted upon said barrel, a transparent tube within said barrel, means supporting a scale within said barrel opposite said'tube, and collapsible means affixed to the open bottom of said barrel containing mercury, said means being adapted to constrict a blood vessel by vertical pressure applied to the barrel and simultaneously force a portion of the mercury upwardly into said tube.

5. A sphygmomanometer, comprising a tubular frame member, a transparent tube telescoped into said frame member, means on opposite ends of said frame member for supporting said tube in axial alignment with respect to said frame member, a fluid within said tube, and hollow means including a flexible bottom wall supported by said frame

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