Oura Smart Ring could provide 24/7 blood pressure monitoring in the future, patent describes method
Last October, Oura launched a study to determine the risk of high blood pressure using the sensors of the Oura Ring 4. In the future, Oura apparently wants to go one step further and not only assess the risk of high blood pressure, but also provide blood pressure readings around the clock.
Oura filed a patent application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) on November 1, 2023, which was granted on February 17, 2026. This patent describes a method for synchronizing data from multiple devices to determine blood pressure. The patent covers various device types; in addition to smart rings, it also describes smartphone cameras, smartwatches and body-worn sensors that could potentially provide data for this system.
In essence, the patent describes a method for measuring the duration of pulse waves between two points on the body. This is essential because blood pressure is determined based on the time it takes for a pulse wave to travel from one point on the body to another. The pulse time interval determined in this way allows Oura to calculate blood pressure. As the patent drawings show, specific values for systolic and diastolic blood pressure are displayed, rather than just a rough trend line, as is the case on some competing products.
By combining a smartphone camera with the Oura Ring 4, blood pressure could be measured without the need for additional hardware. However, to collect data around the clock, this approach would require the purchase of an additional sensor. As is typical, such patents do not necessarily mean that this feature will actually be incorporated. Only more extensive studies will show whether accurate blood pressure data can be collected in this way.
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