A new oscillometry-based method for estimating the brachial arterial compliance under loaded conditions

We propose a new method for assessing the compliance of a compressed brachial artery using an oscillometry-based approach that is mathematically based on artery and air-cuff models. The cuff dynamics during the inflation period were characterized by simultaneously recording the cuff volume and internal pressure with a pressure transducer and an airflow meter, respectively, which yielded the envelope of the oscillation amplitudes (OAs) in the air cuff. This allowed the change in the arterial volume during each heartbeat at different cuff pressures to be calculated, yielding a changed volume-pressure curve. The oscillometry-derived loaded compliance of the brachial artery (Cosci) can be determined as the dynamic changed volume divided by the pulse pressure. Furthermore, we developed a direct scheme to calibrate the calculated dynamic changed volume. In addition, the proposed C(osci) was validated by comparing it with the compliance of the brachial artery (Cecho) estimated echocardiographically from the brachial arterial blood flow in 32 patients whose lower limbs exhibited numbness or lack of strength. The results showed that Cosci and Cecho were significantly correlated between the cuff pressures levels and the mean arterial pressure, systolic pressure, and diastolic pressure (r=0.616, 0.571, and 0.666, respectively; p<0.0001). This suggests that a useful measure of the loaded compliance can be derived from the pattern of the OA waveform in addition to oscillometry-based blood pressure measurements.