To obtain the best possible blood pressure measurements it is imperative that the cuff elastic be prepared and installed correctly and consistently. Please keep these important points in mind:
Use only cuff elastic obtained from Visitech Systems. Do not use balloons purchased from stores, as they may have large variation in thickness and consistency that can lead to high channel-to-channel variations.
Replace cuff elastic on all channels at the same time.
To reduce channel-to-channel differences, please follow these instructions to prepare and install cuff elastic:
If you are using white, 1/4-inch diameter cuff elastic, stretch the elastic 10 times.
Trim the cuff elastic to exactly 1 inch (2.54 cm) in length.
Fold the latex in half lengthwise, and insert through the cuff.
Fold back the elastic on each end and arrange it so there 4 mm of cuff elastic on the outside of each end. Examine all around each end, and make sure the elastic extends uniformly 4 mm completely around the cuff perimeter.
Looking through the inside of the cuff, ensure that the cuff elastic is not twisted, but rather is straight along the length of the cuff. If the elastic is twisted, rotate the elastic at one end to remove the twist.
If the cuff endcaps have not been used before, flare the endcaps slightly over the end of your finger or an appropriately-sized pen. (This is especially important for mouse cuffs.)
Insert the endcaps slowly over each end. If you install them quickly, they may drag the elastic and increase the tension in the cuff. If you see the endcaps dragging the cuff elastic, remove the endcaps and flare them again as described in step 5. Then reposition the cuff elastic as discussed in steps 3 and 4, and insert the endcaps again.