Continuous non-invasive BP monitoring has gained attention for its potential to improve patient comfort and support tighter hemodynamic oversight. A study published in Circulation evaluated a chest-worn photoplethysmography (PPG) device against invasive intra-arterial pressure (IAP) monitoring in post-cardiac surgery patients to determine whether a cuffless system can maintain clinical accuracy.

In this prospective single-center study (Chaim Sheba Medical Center, June 2020 to January 2023; NCT04071015), 96 adults with radial artery catheters were enrolled, and 88 were included in the final analysis (mean age 63.2 ± 12.2 years; 33% female; 80 on inotropes). Continuous BP and HR were recorded for an average of 25.6 ± 17.2 hours, generating more than 78,000 BP readings and over 92,000 HR readings. Patients represented all Fitzpatrick skin tones from I to VI.

The chest-worn monitor correlated closely with IAP measurements: systolic BP r = 0.959, diastolic BP r = 0.973, and HR r = 0.962. Bland–Altman analysis showed minimal bias, including 0.1 ± 4.8 mmHg for systolic pressure. Accuracy remained consistent across BP ranges, HR values, and skin tones. Heatmaps and individual cases further confirmed alignment between the two measurement modalities.

These results indicate that this cuffless device provides reliable continuous BP and HR measurement in post-surgical care. Additional studies are needed to confirm performance across broader populations and routine clinical settings.