Students set up the equipment.

First, a baseline reading is taken.

Students have time to get comfortable taking these types of measurements — the first time for most of them.

Students also must analyze the data gathered.

Students were responsible for taking data for five trials: two while the patient was supine (laying down), two while they were sitting and one after they exercised for at least five minutes.

Electrodes provide ECG measurements.

Goals of the lab exercise include learning how to measure ECG from the body, validating components of the ECG waveform and relating this to blood pressure measurements.

Data collection takes most groups the first week to complete.

Data collected include the pressure value from the cuff (red line at the top of the screen), the acoustic signal from the stethoscope (green line) and the ECG signal from the electrodes (blue line).