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Local pulse wave velocity detection over an arterial segment using photoplethysmography

University of British Columbia

The goal of this thesis is to determine the validity of using photoplethysmography (the detection of changes of blood volume using light) to measure pulse wave velocity as part of a continuous and non-disruptive blood pressure monitor. There has been a limited advancement over the years in technologies to monitor personal blood pressure, which have rendered at-home monitoring still relatively intrusive. The main method for at-home blood pressure monitoring is the use of an inflating cuff that obstructs the artery to detect pressure. This system suffers from inherit drawbacks, such as limitations on recording accuracy if insufficient time has passed between samples and the restrictive nature of the cuff which can induce pain on a user. An alternative device that can monitor continuously would thus benefit people who are sensitive or need 24-hour monitoring. Ideally this would be a system that can be worn without discomfort and does not interfere with the user in any way. The ideal device would also allow continuous blood pressure monitoring throughout the cardiac cycle, independent of the level of physical activity of the user. Furthermore, this type of device would allow athletes to measure blood pressure during activity. To this end, a model is developed to describe blood pressure by measuring the arterial diameter on the radial artery and the pulse wave velocity (PWV) through it. Research suggests that these two metrics, along with the elasticity of an artery, can be used as a means to measure blood pressure non-invasively. This thesis focuses on the measurement of pulse wave velocity. The system design, including the hardware, is covered. The analysis techniques used to obtain raw signals, as well as the methods used to determine the PWV, will be discussed. The measurement location is described in detail. The results are shown to be comparable to values found in literature. However, due to lack of comparable measurement techniques, no direct comparisons between methods could be performed.

Text

2017-12-08

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/63867

Electrical Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/