In what was claimed to be a worldwide wearables first, Scottish firm Novosound demonstrated ultrasound blood pressure monitoring at this month’s CES in Las Vegas.

The company revealed how it had achieved accuracy levels comparable with conventional electronic cuff devices via the miniaturisation of its technology in wearable devices.

Built on Novosound’s Slanj ultrasound sensor developer platform, and using thin-film ultrasound technology, the breakthrough follows the company’s collaboration at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Unlike academic institutions that have focused primarily on laboratory-based development, Novosound has already demonstrated the system in real-world settings including public spaces.

“Our technology has the potential to bridge the gap between individuals, the wearables industry and healthcare providers,” said Novosound (novosound.net) CEO Dave Hughes. “Having a product that continuously tracks blood pressure in real time is considered by many to be a holy grail when it comes to health, and we are proving that ultrasound provides the answer. The ability to monitor on a 24/7 basis combined with the related veracity of the data is something that takes things to the next level and will be transformative in healthcare, enabling early detection of potential health issues and more effective management of hypertension.”

According to the World Health Organization, over one billion adults aged between 30 and 79 have high blood pressure or hypertension worldwide, with around one in two people unaware they have the condition. The only way to know you are suffering from hypertension is to get your blood pressure checked. Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide, largely through heart attacks and strokes.

Blood pressure is displayed as two numbers. The first (systolic) number represents the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart contracts or beats, while the second (diastolic) represents the pressure in the vessels when the heart rests between beats.

Historically, hypertension is diagnosed if, when it is measured on two different days, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days are greater than 140mmHG and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days are less than 90mmHG.