Evaluation of non-invasive blood pressure simulators

Abstract

Non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) simulators are electro-mechanical devices used for testing and evaluating oscillometric non-invasive blood pressure monitors. Simulators are used mainly in clinical environment to assist with routine and after-repair testing of NIBP monitors. In this paper we suggest basic procedures for evaluating a NIBP simulator; assessing its suitability and quality. Proposed evaluation procedure consists of a static calibration and a dynamic evaluation. In static calibration the simulator is calibrated as a common indicating barometer. In dynamic evaluation the output waveforms are investigated (repeatability of the output according to different static pressures and heart rates, repeatability of the output at a constant blood pressure magnitude). Proposed evaluation procedure represents a minimal set of tests to ensure the simulator can be used for testing NIBP monitors. A commercial simulator SmartArm (by Clinical Dynamics, USA) was evaluated according to it and the results are presented.