Those who use the Stanton sphygmomanometer a great deal will have experienced the necessity of frequent renewals of the rubber bulb used to inflate the cuff. When employing the instrument, the bulb remains distended throughout the entire blood-pressure determination, and if the pressure be high, the tension is extremely great. It has been my experience, and this is probably the experience of many, to find that the bulb usually lasts but a short time and must be replaced frequently.
To overcome this protracted distention I have devised a simple arrangement whereby the air may be let out of the bulb without affecting the pressure in the cuff. As shown in the illustration, the rubber tube leading to the Suggested improvement in blood-pressure apparatus to avoid continuous pressure on the rubber bulb while taking the reading. A Y tube, A, is inserted in the rubber tubing with a short rubber tube