Optical Sensor Revolutionizes Blood Pressure Measurement

An innovative method of measuring blood pressure (BP) based on an optical sensor has unique features that offer superior accuracy and ease of use compared to current devices.

The Sapphire sensor system allows direct measurement of BP blood pressure without a pressure cuff, within seconds. The sensor not only measures BP, it also generates a continuous beat-to-beat BP measurement and other hemodynamic data, which in combination enable it to give a more complete vascular assessment than any other BP device. Potential applications for the device could include intraocular BP measurement without putting pressure on the eye; fetal heart monitors; health and blood pressure measurement of the femoral and carotid arteries; and highly accurate miniature sports biometric devices.


The miniature sensor will also make it possible to put BP sensing technology into a completely new range of devices, such as a bracelet, plaster, pen, computer mice, mobile phones, and clothing, so that the measurement of BP could become completely innocuous and ubiquitous, while still achieving a high level of accuracy. With the growing use of healthcare in the home, the sensor provides a much simpler and accurate way to measure BP automatically and transmit the data to a telehealth care device. The Sapphire sensor system is a development of Tarilian Laser Technologies (TLT; Welwyn Garden City, UK).

“The TLT sensor, because of its power, simply makes other technologies in medical biometrics obsolete, so we see the potential to have our sensor in every blood pressure device,” said Sandeep Shah, MD, CEO of TLT. “The technology is very scalable and affordable; and indeed can compete extremely well with current costs within the BPM sector, and yet it offers unique and powerful advantages over all other technologies.”

The most common method of blood pressure measurement dates back to the sphygmomanometer, invented in 1881 by Von Basch, which is based on oscillometry, the measuring of systolic and diastolic pressure using a pressure cuff to determine blood flow-cutoff points. Hypertension experts have long reported on the shortcomings of current systems of BP measurement and recently regulatory bodies have also become increasingly concerned about their performance.

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