Breakthrough: Robots that can check your blood pressure

HOW IT WORKS

The LIO sensors integrated onto the robot's fingertips can be positioned on the patient's chest. Blood pressure is monitored and estimated by combining data from electrocardiogram (ECG)and photoplethysmogram (PPG) readings, as recorded by sensors on the fingers of each hand respectively.

Using predetermined algorithms, the signals from the paired sensors can generate a patient's systolic and diastolic blood pressure without using the traditional cuff-based digital sphygmomanometer.

Kim's earlier work involved programming sensing robots to measure other human physiological signals, such as those from an electrocardiogram (which monitors heart rate), temperature and respiration rate.

"Robotics offers a promising method to mitigate risk and improve patient care effectiveness and quality as focused remote healthcare technology," says Kim. The researchers plan further trials of their new process and are developing the next generation of sensors, which they hope will lead to its biomedically meaningful implementation.

"Blood pressure monitoring is an essential medical diagnostic tool for many chronic diseases and overall good health. The use of sensing robots in medical healthcare systems has substantial advantages because they can assist health care workers in monitoring patient vital signs while creating a friendly environment for those patients who may need to be isolated."

Kim believes that robotics can provide a future platform or bridge between medical personnel and remote patients with "the potential to play an essential role in the new era of remote healthcare."

The research is partially supported by a Discovery and Accelerator Supplement Grant, funded by the Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada (NSERC).