Hypertension Detector for Developing Countries

Abstract

For low-income countries, hypertension is the leading cause of death. Preeclampsia, a disorder often characterized by high blood pressure, is the second leading killer of pregnant women globally. Preeclampsia can be treated cheaply and effectively but very few women receive appropriate prenatal care. There are many different devices to measure blood pressure but they are poorly suited for use in developing countries. Great care has to be taken to engineer a device that incorporates the human-factors involved while maintaining affordability. A prototype of a low-cost device engineered specifically for semi-literate volunteers in developing countries has been created. Preliminary testing has shown reliable hypertension detection and plans have been made for field testing in rural communities this August 2010 in Nepal