His first model incorporated a water-filled ball linked to the mercury. The second device linked a kymograph to a sphygmomanometer so as to grid a pressure wave. In the third model, Basch introduced a vital change and in place of linking a ball to the mercury section, he applied standardized aneroid manometer to evaluate the pressure. Further improvement of this device continued in 1900s. In 1901, a physician, Harvey Cushing modernized sphygmomanometer brought into US and marketed it within the health care industry (Parati & Mancia, 2004, p.4). In 1905, physician from Russia Nikolai Korotkov improved the device by incorporating measurement diastolic blood pressure measurement in it.
Today, there are two types of sphygmomanometers including digital sphygmomanometers and manual sphygmomanometers. The standard and most acceptable is manual sphygmomanometers. There are two categories of manual of sphygmomanometers consisting of aneroid and mercury (Turner & van Schalkwyk, 2008, p.845). However, digital sphygmomanometers are gaining popularity with advancement of technology. Aneroid and mercury devices almost work in a similar manner except that mercury one uses the mercury while aneroid needs periodic calibration to function.
Buchanan, Orris and Karline (2011, p.108) postulated that aneroid sphygmomanometers (implying ‘without fluid’) apply the mechanical components to discharge pressure within the cuff to the dial. With cuff pressure expanding, a thin brass bellows rises, causing budging of the pin which rests on such bellows. Studies show that a sequence of gears propels this budging and conveys it to a dial in which a person’s blood pressure can be checked. Just as with mercury gadgets, the doctor inflates and manually deflates the cuff, then applies the usual auscultatory method to recognize diastolic and systolic pressures (Gill et al. 2004, p.26).
Digital sphygmomanometers also called automatic gadgets do not need doctor participation further other than putting a cuff around the arm of patient and waiting to read the blood pressure. In this device, a cuff rises and collapses electronically (Buchanan, Orris & Karline, 2011, p.108). Analysis demonstrates that transducer within this machine feels the pressure produced by a brachial arterial and digitally senses the maximum amplitude point. There are no noticeable points, particularly on diastolic and systolic points within the pressure wave, hence the machine computes the pressure automatically through an algorithm.
Description of its application This instrument is used in medical field and society in different cases. Sphygmomanometers are used by doctors in diagnosis and even treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) (Turner & van Schalkwyk, 2008, p.845). In test of blood pressure in human beings, the cuff incorporated in sphygmomanometer is put efficiently and comfortably around the arm (Gill et al. 2004, p.26). The place where the cuff is often put nearly the same height just as the heart.
This device is also used in animals to evaluate their blood pressure. In most cases it has been used by veterinary doctors on domestic animals such as cow, goat, sheep, dogs and cats among others. Health care researchers argue that place of cuff on animals is dependent on the species and could be done on the tail of flipper (Parati & Mancia 2004, p.17). Nevertheless, it is vital that the right size of a cuff is picked for a patient. The Health care practitioner should note that a small cuff will lead to a high pressure while a large one will create low pressure on a patient hence wrong diagnostic.
Parati, Faini and Castiglioni (2006, p.1918) contended that the length of the cuff ought to be equal to 80 percent of bounds of the arm. Although sphygmomanometers have largely been used in blood pressure, the device is also applied in other uses such as Hess test. Hess test is also referred to as Rumpel-Leede or Tourniquet test and its named after Alfred Fabian Hess.
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