History of Omron's Blood Pressure Monitor

In pursuit of "accuracy" and "ease of use"

The innovation of Omron's blood pressure monitor was started with the concept of "Health Engineering" in the beginning of 1960s.

"Health Engineering" is the idea of the founder of Omron Corporation, Kazuma Tateisi, who was inspired by the system of the latest automation factory at that time. The concept is to compare the control and communication systems of human body to those of machines and manage a person's health condition and diagnose diseases by using a combination of automation and computer technologies.

The research based on his unique logic was started at the central R&D laboratory in 1961. Since then, Omron has been working consistently on the development of blood pressure monitor for home use with the policy to contribute to healthcare through the diagnosis technologies with the corporate policy of "working for the benefit of the society".

Omron's first digital blood pressure monitor, "manometer-typed manual blood pressure monitor (HEM-1)" , was released in 1973, and "digital blood pressure monitor for home use (HEM-77)" was developed in 1978, the year of establishment of Japan Hypertension Society.

We have been challenging ourselves to develop numbers of blood pressure monitors for home use adapting the forefront bio-information sensing technology and the usability concept of the time: "blood pressure monitor with oscillometric method (HEM-400C/HEM-700C)" which is adapted the innovative oscillometric method in 1985, "digital auto blood pressure monitor with fuzzy logic (HEM-706)" which is the world's first fuzzy logic-based model in 1991, and "a model with full automatic cuff wrapping system (HEM-1000)" adapted universal design concept in 2004.

Omron's blood pressure monitors for home use have been highly trusted not only in Japan but also worldwide as a result of our pursuit of product's "accuracy" and "ease of use" as the global share No.1 manufacturer. Let us introduce the history of development of our blood pressure monitors along with the historical surroundings of the hypertension treatment in the chronological table.

Chronological Table of Blood Pressure Monitoring

In Omron In the Medical World
-1960s
1896, Riva Rocci in Italy introduced the first blood pressure monitoring method of pressuring an upper arm with a cuff
1905, Nicolai Korotkoff in Russia published the article on the blood pressure monitoring by listening to the arterial sounds occurred by the cuff pressuring
Late 1950s to 1960s, As researches to identify the correlation between hypertension and stroke were progressed in Japan, efficacy of hypertension treatment was recognized, and the excessive intake of salt was identified as the one of the causes of hypertension
1961, The "idea room" was established in the Central R&D Laboratory of Tateisi Electronics (former Omron Corporation) Officially entered into HE (Health Engineering) business
1964, Started the development of simple blood pressure monitor at the vital laboratory in the Central R&D Laboratory
1966, International Society of Hypertension (ISH) was established
1970s From "Health Engineering" to the First Blood Pressure Monitor
1970s, The rates of cerebral infarction and cardiac diseases were increased instead of cerebral hemorrhage
1973, Omron's first blood pressure monitor: manometer-typed manual monitor (HEM-1)
1974, Establishment of Tateisi Life Science Laboratory (name changed to Omron Life Science Laboratory in 1990)
1977, World's first Guideline for Hypertension Treatment by Joint National Committee
1978, Omron's First digital blood pressure monitor for home-use (HEM-77) 1978, Establishment of Japan Hypertension Society
1980s Innovation of Monitoring – Oscillometric Method
First half of 1980s, large-scale worldwide intervention trial for hypertension
1981, Omron's first digital automatic blood pressure monitor for home-use (HEM-88)
1982, First entry to the overseas market (Germany)
1983, WHO and ISH co-released the management guideline for pre-hypertension
1984, Blood Pressure Monitor with Printer (HEM-50P) Capable to print the measured blood pressure values. Digital manual blood pressure monitor (HEM-439) Low price as below 10 thousand yen; first in the market
1985, What now we call "White-coat Hypertension" was recognized in overseas
1986, Blood Pressure Monitor with Oscillometric Method (HEM-400C/HEM-700C) Ohasama Study was started by Prof. Yutaka Imai of Tohoku University Graduate School
1988, Finger Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-802F) Measured at a finger. Awarded the Good Design Award for Welfare Product 1988, "Nocturnal Hypertension" was reported
1990s World's First Innovation of Fuzzy Logic-based Blood Pressure Monitor
1990, Acquired Marshall, an OEM provider in the U.S. Established the branches in Germany and Hong Kong (1991) 1990, First diagnosis guideline of "Guide for the Treatment of Hypertension" was presented by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Japan Medical Association
1991, World's first fuzzy logic automatic blood pressure monitor (HEM-706)
1992, Blood Pressure Monitor with Constant-Speed Deflation Control (HEM-707) Achieved the development goal of "Friendly, Quiet, and Fast". World's First Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-601) First model of wrist type monitor
1996, Ohasama Study was applied to the guideline of Joint National Committee (the evidence was adapted to the guidelines of WHO in 1991 and the European Society of Hypertension in 2007)
1999, Blood Pressure Monitor with World's Fastest Measurement Technology (HEM-757) Shortened the measurement time to 21-22 seconds which used to take about 40 seconds in the past. The shorter the measurement time, the less the inflation pain
2000s Spread of the home monitoring and achievement of 100 million units sales
2000, World's Smallest Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-630) 2000, First "Guideline for Hypertension Treatment" was launched by Japan Society of Hypertension For the age of preventive medical care
2001, New Pre-formed Cuff "ComFit Cuff" Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-770A)
2002, Japan's First Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor with Advanced Positioning Sensor (HEM-637IT) 2002, "HOMED-BP Study (monitor long-term prognosis of hypertension patients with the guideline of self-measured blood pressure at home)" with participation from Tohoku University and many other medical institutes in Japan started
2003, Omron's Blood Pressure Monitor Sales Reached over 50 million units 2003, "Guidelines for Self-monitoring of Blood Pressure Monitor at Home" was launched by Japan Society of Hypertension. It expresses how to monitor or the standard value of blood pressure specifically
2004, Omron's Original Blood Pressure Monitor with Full Automatic Cuff Wrapping System (HEM-1000)
2006, Industry-first Blood Pressure Monitor with Morning Hypertension Indicator (HEM-7020)
2008, Downsized and Lightened Model Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-7301-IT). Developed Solar-powered Blood Pressure Monitor (HEM-SOLAR)
2009, Sales of blood pressure monitors for home use exceeded 100 million units worldwide. 2009, Normal blood pressure level of home monitoring was outlined as "less than 125/80mmHg (less than 135/85mmHg for elderly people)"