Microlife BP3AX1-4U Instruction Manual

3AX1-4U-LF-JUL06-FDA-2

PLEASE NOTE:

THIS MEDICAL INSTRUMENT MUST BE USED ACCORDING TO

INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE ACCURATE READINGS.

Questions? Preguntas?

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Model # BP3AX1-4U
ID # 3AX1-4U-LF (344536)

Instruction Manual

Premium Wrist
Blood Pressure
Monitor

Premium Wrist
Blood Pressure
Monitor

Premium Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

Instruction Manual
Model #BP3AX1-4U
ID#3AX1-4U-LF (344536)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. Features of your blood pressure monitor

1.2. Important information about self-measurement

2. Important Information about Blood Pressure and its Measurement

2.1. How does high/low blood pressure arise?

2.2. Which values are normal?

2.3. How can you treat high blood pressure?

2.4. Benefits of Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™

3. The Components of Your Blood Pressure Monitor

4. Using Your Blood Pressure Monitor

4.1. Inserting the batteries

4.2. Initial setup

4.3. Setting alarm times

4.4. Sleep mode

5. Taking a Measurement

5.1. Before the measurement

5.2. Common sources of error

5.3. Fitting the cuff

5.4. Measurement mode selection (LifeFitness Averaging Mode Technology™
feature)

5.5. Measurement procedure

5.6. Discontinuing a measurement

6. Memory Recall and User Setting

6.1. Viewing measurements saved in memory

6.2. How to use the individual memory feature

6.3. Clearing the memory

7. Software Functions

7.1. Installation of software and downloading readings

8. Adjusting the Display Contrast

9. Error Messages / Malfunctions

10. Care and Maintenance

11. Warranty

12. What U.S. and International Standards is this device
manufactured to meet?

13. Technical Specifications

14. How to Contact Us

1

1. Introduction

1.1. Features of your Premium Blood Pressure Monitor, ID # 3AX1-4U-LF

The blood pressure monitor is a fully automatic, digital blood pressure measuring
device for use on the wrist. This enables very fast and reliable measurement of
systolic and diastolic blood pressures as well as the pulse through the
oscillometric measuring method. The device offers excellent accuracy proven in
clinical studies and has been designed for ease of use.

Before using, please read this instruction manual carefully and then keep it in a
safe place. For further questions on the subject of blood pressure and its
measurement, please contact your doctor.

Caution!

1.2. Important information about self-measurement

• Self-measurement means knowledge, not diagnosis or treatment. Unusual

values must always be discussed with your doctor. You should never alter

the dosages of any drugs prescribed by your doctor.

• The pulse reading is not suitable for checking the frequency of heart

pacemakers!

• Clinical trials have shown that wrist measurements can reach similar

accuracy to upper arm measurements. However, some individuals may get a
different result between both methods. Therefore, we generally recommend
to compare the readings of this device to data obtained by your doctor.

• Make sure you keep the device at heart level during measurement to avoid a

user accuracy error.

Electromagnetic interference

The device contains sensitive electronic components. Therefore, avoid strong
electrical or electromagnetic fields in the direct vicinity of the device (e.g. mobile
telephones, microwave cookers). These can lead to temporary impairment of the
measuring accuracy.

2

2. Important information about blood pressure and its measurement

2.1 How does high or low blood pressure arise?

Your level of blood pressure is determined in the circulatory center of your brain
and adjusts to a variety of situations through feedback from the nervous system.
To adjust blood pressure, the strength and frequency of the heart (Pulse), as well as
the width of circulatory blood vessels is altered. Blood vessel width is affected by fine
muscles in the blood vessel walls. Your level of arterial blood pressure changes
periodically during heart activity. During the "blood ejection" (Systole), the value is
highest (systolic blood pressure value). At the end of the heart’s "rest period" (Diastole)
pressure is lowest (diastolic blood pressure value). Your blood pressure values should lie
within certain normal ranges in order to prevent particular diseases.

2.2 Which values are normal?

Blood pressure is dangerously high if your diastolic pressure is above 90 mmHg and/or
your systolic blood pressure is over 160 mmHg, while at rest. In this case, please
consult your physician immediately. Long-term values at this level endanger your health
through continual damage to the blood vessels in you body. If your systolic blood
pressure values lie between 140 mmHg and 160mmHg and/or your diastolic blood
pressure values lie between 90 mmHg and 95mmHg consult your physician. Regular
self-checks will be necessary. If you have blood pressure values that are too low, (i.e.,
systolic values under 105mmHg and/or diastolic values under 60 mmHg), consult your
physician. Even with normal blood pressure values, a regular self-check with your blood
pressure monitor is recommended. You can detect possible changes in your values early
and react appropriately. If you are undergoing medical treatment to control your blood
pressure, keep a record of values along with time of day and date. Show these values
to your physician.

Never use the results of your measurements to independently

alter the drug doses prescribed by your physician.

3

The following standards for assessing high blood pressure (without regard to age) have
been established by the U.S. National Institutes of Health JNC7, 2003.

☞ Further information

• If your values are mostly normal under resting conditions but exceptionally high
under conditions of physical or psychological stress, it is possible that you are
suffering from so-called "labile hypertension." Consult your physician.

• Correctly measured diastolic blood pressure values above 120mmHg require
immediate medical treatment.

2.3 What can be done if regular high or low values are obtained?

a) Consult your physician.

b) Increased blood pressure values (various forms of hypertension) are associated with

considerable health risks over time. Arterial blood vessels in your body may be
endangered due to narrowing caused by deposits in the vessel walls
(Arteriosclerosis). A deficient supply of blood to important organs (heart, brain,
muscles) can result. Furthermore, the heart will become structurally damaged with
increased blood pressure values.

c) There are many different causes of high blood pressure. We differentiate between

common primary (essential) hypertension, and secondary hypertension. Secondary
hypertension can be ascribed to specific organ malfunctions. Please consult your
physician for information about the possible origins of your own high blood pressure.

d) There are measures you can take to reduce and even prevent high blood

pressure. These measures should include permanent lifestyle changes.

4

Category Systolic Diastolic

(mmHg) (mmHg)

Normal <120 <80
Self-Check

Pre-Hypertension 120 - 139 80 - 89

Stage 1 140 - 159 90 - 99

Hypertension
Stage 2 >160 >100

Hypertension

1) Eating habits:

• Strive for a normal weight corresponding to your age. See your doctor for your
ideal weight.

• Avoid excessive consumption of salt.

• Avoid fatty and fried foods.

2) Previous illnesses

• Consistently follow all medical instructions for treating illness such as:
diabetes (diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes), fat metabolism disorder, and
gout.

3) Habits

• Give up smoking completely.

• Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.

• Restrict your caffeine consumption (coffee, tea and chocolate).

4) Your physical condition

• After a medical examination, and with your doctor’s approval and direction,
exercise.

• Choose sports which require stamina and avoid those which require strength.

• Avoid reaching the limit of your performance.

• With previous illnesses and/or an age of over 40 years, please

consult your physician before beginning your exercise routine. You must

receive advice regarding the type and extent of exercise that is

appropriate for you.

2.4 Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™

Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™ is a new concept for optimum reliability in
measurement of blood pressure. A single measurement is rarely your real result. An
average of three readings is medically demonstrated to provide the most accurate
result. With the push of a single button, the Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™
blood pressure monitor takes three consecutive measurements and calculates the
average.

5

3. Components of your blood pressure monitor

The illustration below shows your blood pressure monitors key features:

This wrist cuff fits wrist circumference of 5.3” to 7.67” (13.5cm to 19.5 cm).

4. Using the blood pressure monitor

4.1. Inserting the batteries

After you have unpacked your device, insert the

batteries.

1. Remove the cover as illustrated (

A).

2. Lay the clear plastic strip (B) inside the battery

compartment, and insert 2 x size AAA 1.5V
batteries (

C), observing the indicated polarity

according to the markings on the cuff (D).

Caution!

•

After the low battery warning appears, the device
is disabled until the batteries have been replaced.

•

If the battery warning appears in the display, the
batteries are discharged and must be replaced by
new ones.

•

Use AAA Long-Life or Alkaline 1.5V Batteries. The
use of rechargeable batteries is not recommended.

•

If the blood pressure monitor is left unused for long
periods, remove the batteries from the device.

6

Scroll Buttons
M = OK/Mode Button

Cuff

Display

Battery Cover

ON/OFF/START
Button

SYS

DIA

PUL

120

mm

Hg

80

mm

Hg

68

/mi

n

11

:31

am

No. 10

4/11

1

ON/

OFF

/ST

ART

M

A

B

C

D

4.2. Initial Setup

When the batteries are installed, the display shows
the language selection screen.
Press ▲ or ▼ to select the display language. Press

OK (M) to confirm the selection. The default language
is English.

The device prompts you to set the time and date. The
year blinks highlighting the first field to change.
Press

▲ or ▼ to change the year. Press OK (M) to

confirm the date. The month, day, hour, and minute
are all consecutively highlighted. Press

▲ or ▼ to

change these fields and press

OK (M) to confirm. You

are then prompted to set the alarms.

4.3. Setting Alarm Times

After you have set the time, you can set one or two
alarms to alert you to take your blood pressure
measurements. An alarm icon appears in the display.
Press

▲ or ▼ to set the hour and minute for Alarm 1.

Press

OK (M) to confirm each setting.

When the alarm icon is highlighted, press

▲ or ▼ to

enable or disable Alarm 1. Press

OK to confirm.

You are then prompted to set Alarm 2. Follow the
instructions for Alarm 1 to set this alarm.
After setting the alarms, press

OK to exit the Time and

Date Setup. An alarm icon appears in the display to
indicate that the alarm is activated.

Attention!

The time display is set on a 24-hour clock.

Language

➤ English

Deutsch
Francais
Russian
Espanol

Jan 1 2006

0:00

Display
Off

7

Feb 24 2006

8:15

Display
Off

Feb 24 2006

8:15

Display
Off

Feb 24 2006

10:30

Display
Off

When the final field (DISPLAY OFF) is highlighted, press
▲ or ▼ to select whether you want the time and date

display to remain on when the device is switched off.
Press

OK to confirm the settings and exit the time

setup screen.

4.4. Sleep Mode

The device is designed to stay
in sleep mode as batteries are
loaded. The illustration shows
the display elements, when the
BPM is in sleep mode, and the
DISPLAY OFF feature is disabled
(see Section 4.2).

5. Taking a measurement

5.1. Before the measurement

• Avoid eating, smoking as well as all forms of exertion directly before the
measurement. All these factors influence the measurement result. Try to find
time to relax by sitting in an armchair in a quiet atmosphere for about ten
minutes before measurement on the left wrist.

• If you compare readings note the time of day as blood pressure fluctuates
throughout the day.

5.2. Common sources of error:
Note: Comparable blood-pressure measurements always require the
same conditions! Quiet conditions are always required for your
optimal measurement.

• All efforts by the patient to support the arm can increase the blood pressure.
Make sure you are in a comfortable, relaxed position and do not flex any of
the muscles in the measurement arm during the measurement. Use a cushion

8

Apr 17 2006

JOHN MAM

Date
Time (Military Time

24-hour format)

Life Fitness
AveragingMode™

Current user (#1)

15:31

Alarm active

for support if necessary.

• If the wrist artery lies considerably lower or higher than the heart, an
erroneously higher or lower blood pressure will be measured! (Each 15cm or

5.9” difference in height results in a measurement error of 10mmHg!)

• A loose cuff causes false measurement values.

• With repeated measurements, blood can accumulate in the respective arm,
which can lead to false results. Correctly executed blood pressure
measurements should therefore first be repeated after a 1 minute pause or
after the arm has been held up in order to allow
the accumulated blood to flow away. (Does not
apply to a Life Fitness AveragingMode™
measurement.)

5.3. Fitting the cuff

a) Remove all objects and jewelry (e.g. wristwatch)

from the wrist in use. Put the cuff over the wrist
with the monitor face on the inside of the wrist.

b) The distance between the cuff and the hand should

be approx. 1/2” (10 mm).

c) Secure the cuff with the Velcro™ fastener, so that

it lies comfortably and not too tight. No space
should remain between the cuff and the wrist.

d) Lay your arm on a table, with your palm upwards.

Support your arm with a cushion, so that the cuff
rests at about the same height as your heart. Do
not hold or support the cuff with your free hand.
Remain still for 5 minutes before beginning a
measurement.

9

5.4. Measurement Mode Selection

Choose which measurement mode you want to use before taking a blood pressure
reading. Press

OK (M) to enter the menus, press ▲ or ▼ to select Measuring

mode, and press

OK (M) to enter the submenu Select , «1» or «3/MAM» for Life

Fitness AveragingMode Technology™ with the scroll buttons and confirm your
selection by «

OK».

Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™

In average mode, the unit takes 3 continuous
measurements, and afterwards calculates the
result based on an average using Life Fitness
AveragingMode Technology™ (see Section 2.4).
There is a 15-second rest time between
measurements; the unit beeps during the last 5
seconds to remind you of the upcoming
measurement.

Single Mode

In single mode «1», only one measurement is taken.

5.5. Measurement Procedure

After the cuff and arm have been appropriately
positioned and the measurement mode is set, the
measurement can be taken as follows. Press the
ON/OFF/START button. The Life Fitness Welcome
screen appears, and is followed by a screen which
shows you how to properly hold your arms. If the
display off function is enabled, the Sleep Mode
screen appears for two seconds
before measurements are taken.

The pump begins to inflate the
cuff and the increasing cuff
pressure is displayed.

10

MEASURING MODE

[

▼

] [▲

]

1 3/MAM

Numeric pressure

Graphical pressure

Hold left wrist at heart level

and remain still during

measurement.

After the suitable inflation pressure has been reached, the pump stops, the
measurement signals are displayed and the heart icon flashes.

This curve shows each heart beat activity. Movement artifacts (excessive
movement) would become visible by large deviations within the curve.

A long beep sounds when the measurement has
been completed. The systolic and diastolic blood
pressure and pulse rate appear in the display.
The measurement reading remains on the display
for approximately 30 seconds. If no button is
pressed during the 30-second period the
instrument switches itself off in order to preserve
the batteries.

When the unit is set to MAM, it means the Life
Fitness AveragingMode Technology™
has been engaged and three separate
measurements take place as
explained under section 5.4.

11

User #1 Icon

Relative amplitude

Heart icon
Pressure

3/03 15:48

sys

124

mmHg

dia

73

mmhg

pul

77

/min.

22

Countdown
timer

Measurement
number

MAM

Life Fitness
AveragingMode
Technology™ icon

5.6. Discontinuing a measurement

If it is necessary to interrupt a blood pressure measurement for any reason, for
example, if the patient feels ill, press the ON/OFF/START button. The device
immediately lowers the cuff pressure and enters into sleep mode.

6. Memory handling and user setting

6.1 Viewing Measurements Saved in

Memory

This blood pressure monitor automatically
stores each of the last 30 measurement
values. To view the stored measurements
for a user, press or in sleep mode. The

last measurement taken for the user is
displayed.
The user, measurement sequence number,
date, and time are displayed on the top.
Data obtained in Life Fitness
AveragingMode Technology™ are indicated
by a MAM symbol in the upper right corner.

• Press or to scroll through the list items.

• The first item in the list is the average of all

stored data.

• Press

OK and the display shows table of all

data.

• The first entry is the average. Data obtained in

Life Fitness AveragingMode Technology™ is
indicated by an «A» symbol at the very right.

• Press or to scroll through the list.

12

9 MAM

3/06 15:48

sys

124

mmHg

dia

73

mmhg

pul

77

/min.

Measurement
number

Life Fitness
AveragingMode
Technology™

3/06 15:48

No. sys dia pul

avg. 149 110 85

1 145 109 83
2 119 71 74 A
3 124 73 79
4 130 80 77 A