Why do electronic blood pressure monitors sometimes give inaccurate readings, and is there a way to prevent this? On April 29, 2024, at the World Digital Health Forum, Hanwang Technology's President Zhu Deyong introduced an electronic blood pressure monitor redefined by artificial intelligence, capable of providing readings as accurate as mercury sphygmomanometers.
Zhu Deyong introduces the Keshi Sound Method intelligent blood pressure monitor at the Zhongguancun Forum.
"Currently, most electronic blood pressure monitors on the market use the oscillometric method, capturing the oscillation waves inside the cuff airbag first, then estimating the values through formulas and statistical coefficients," explained Zhu Deyong, highlighting the reasons for inaccuracies. "This method of estimating blood pressure values based on oscillation wave conversion has limitations and can lead to both missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses of hypertension."
Traditionally, the widely accepted method for blood pressure measurement in the industry has been the mercury auscultatory method. It works by directly measuring blood pressure through the sound changes generated by the impact of blood flow on blood vessels during cuff deflation. In honor of the inventor of this auscultatory method, Nikolai Korotkoff, the industry refers to the sound of blood flow impacting blood vessels as Korotkoff sounds, and this auscultatory method is also known as the Korotkoff sound method, serving as the international gold standard for non-invasive blood pressure measurement.
Since 2019, Hanwang Technology has been researching the electronic implementation of the Korotkoff sound method, collecting, organizing, and annotating over a million high-quality Korotkoff sound data points. This approach avoids errors in high and low pressure annotations caused by subjective differences, enabling accurate identification of Korotkoff sounds with cuff placement at any angle.
Clinical trial reports indicate that electronic blood pressure monitors based on the Korotkoff sound method, compared to mercury sphygmomanometers, have an average error of 0.3 mmHg, below the clinical trial standard requirement of 5 mmHg; with a standard deviation of 1.3 mmHg, lower than the clinical trial standard of 8 mmHg.
"When using the Hanwang Korotkoff sound method intelligent blood pressure monitor, accurate and comprehensive measurements can be achieved even without rolling up sleeves," Zhu Deyong explained. "To facilitate patients in understanding and managing their blood pressure data post-measurement, we have integrated a large model into the interactive process, generating corresponding examination suggestions based on individual blood pressure data and professional medical knowledge."
