VOA标准英语2010年-Solar Blood Pressure Monitor Passes Af

The study of a solar-powered blood pressure monitor finds it can be an effective tool in places where electricity — and even batteries — can be in short supply. A study in Africa found the monitors to be affordable¹ and accurate.
High blood pressure is a major health concern. It can lead to stroke and many other debilitating² conditions. But you can't tell if someone has high blood pressure just by looking at them. You have to measure it, on regular basis. And that can be a challenge.
"And so, we have set out to find a device that is accurate, robust³, inexpensive, and also not dependent on batteries or electricity for power," said Dr. Eoin O'Brien of University College Dublin, who is the lead author of a newly published study evaluating the effectiveness of these new monitors.
Taking blood pressure can be done manually, with an inflatable cuff⁴ and a stethoscope. The equipment is cheap, saiid O'Brien in a telephone interview, but it requires significant training to be accurate and reliable "because the greatest source of inaccuracy with the traditional technique is the observer. "The observer becomes distracted or forgets what the blood pressure is. At least with the automated⁵ device you have the reading there. It's on the screen for you to see."But automatic equipment requires batteries or plug-in electricity. So the World Health Organization asked several manufacturers to submit solar-powered devices for evaluation⁶. After laboratory review, the one made by the Japanese technology firm Omron was selected for field testing. On a full solar charge, it can take 300 blood pressure readings with accuracy comparable to the traditional, manual method. In field tests in Uganda and Zambia, training users of the device only took about 15 minutes, and the health workers say they liked its ease of use.
"And also they liked the fact that they got automated measurements," O'Brien added, "that they had solar power and didn't have to worry about batteries, which is one of the problems with automated devices in that they are dependent upon batteries."The Omron model HEM-SOLAR sells for around $32, but there are no ongoing⁷ costs for batteries or power. Eoin O'Brien's paper describing evaluation of the device is published online by Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

1 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

2 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

5 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

6 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。