Evaluation of blood-pressure transducers

Abstract

This article summarizes the report of the evaluation of some pressure transducers, which was published in July 1982 in ‘Health Equipment Information’ 105.

The report, the second in a series covering a number of blood-pressure transducers, is an evaluation of three conventional transducers, two wrist-watch style transducers and three miniature transducers. Catheter-tip devices are not included. The evaluation was carried out by Dr R. H. Smallwood of the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK. The report commences with an overall comparison of the transducers, which covers the type of dome, the method of cleaning, the method of excitation and comments on the durability of the transducers. This is followed by a table showing the specification of the transducers, as claimed by the manufacturers. The specifications have been converted to a common system of units to allow a direct comparison to be made. The next section gives an individual report on each transducer, headed by a photograph of the transducer on a grid scale, and followed by the manufacturer's comments. A table showing the results of the evaluation is followed by an appendix outlining the philosophy behind the standards which have been used, and giving details of the test methods. The appendix is reprinted, with minor alterations, from R. H. Smallwood (1978) The technical evaluation of blood pressure transducers. ‘Engineering in Medicine', 7, 4, pp. 211-215.

The overall comparison of the transducers, together with the tables showing the claimed specification and the results of the evaluation, is reprinted here. The Editors are grateful to the DHSS for permission to use crown copyright material.