A sphygmomanometer with a cuff for use on a patient wrist, upper or lower arm incorporates an inflatable bladder and a support structure. The cuff is subdivided into two sections. The first section holds the bladder against an arterial side of the limb, while the second section abuts a non-arterial side of the limb and is mechanically coupled to the support structure. When the cuff is attached to the patient limb, the bladder is positioned to avoid receiving a gravitational force caused by the weight of the limb. Rather, the gravitational force is absorbed by the support structure in an interior area of the cuff removed from the bladder.
