The first attempts to measure blood pressure were made only in the late 19th century. The most famous and widely used method of measuring pressure was introduced by N. Korotkov in 1905. His method involves putting a cuff on the upper arm, pumping air into it, and, finally, listening to the tones.

There are three basic types of blood pressure monitors:

Aneroid blood pressure kit/mechanical

This is the simplest, inexpensive, and widely used type of blood pressure monitors. The device consists of a cuff, a bulb, a pressure gauge, and a stethoscope. Air inflation is performed manually. Indicators of such a device are quite accurate. However, the correctness of the result depends on the good hearing of the measurer.

Semi-automatic

An improved model of an aneroid blood pressure kit. This device consists of a cuff, a bulb, and a display which shows both blood pressure and heart rate. Air inflation into the cuff is done manually, but air release and measurements are performed automatically by the device. They are powered by a mains adapter or batteries.

Automatic

The measurement using this type of blood pressure monitor is done automatically. It consists of a cuff and a display. The cuff inflates and releases air automatically just by pressing the button. This type of blood pressure monitor can not only measure blood pressure and heart rate, but also store the results into the internal memory of the device. Therefore, you can compare your previous measurements. Importantly, it is convenient for self-measurement. This type of blood pressure monitor is the most technologically advanced: it has internal memory, some models have an arrhythmia indicator, and some can even give voice instructions and results for people with impaired vision.

Automatic blood pressure monitors, in turn, are divided into upper arm and wrist ones. Thus, the former is applied just above the elbow bend and the latter directly on the wrist. This type of device is an excellent solution for those who often travel or do sports, as it is compact and has a universal cuff.