Determination of wave speed and wave separation in the arteries using diameter and velocity

The determination of arterial wave speed and the separation of the forward and backward waves have been established using simultaneous measurements of pressure (P) and velocity (U). In this work, we present a novel algorithm for the determination of local wave speed and the separation of waves using the simultaneous measurements of diameter (D) and U. The theoretical basis of this work is the solution of the 1D equations of flow in elastic tubes. A relationship between D and U is derived, from which, local wave speed can be determined; C=+/-0.5(dU(+/-)/dlnD(+/-)). When only unidirectional waves are present, this relationship describes a linear relationship between lnD and U. Therefore, constructing a lnDU-loop should result in a straight line in the early part of the cycle when it is most probable that waves are running in the forward direction. Using this knowledge of wave speed, it is also possible to derive a set of equations to separate the forward and backward waves from the measured D and U waveforms. Once the forward and backward waveforms of D and U are established, we can calculate the energy carried by the forward and backward waves, in a similar way to that of wave intensity analysis. In this paper, we test the new algorithm in vitro and present results from data measured in the carotid artery of human and the ascending aorta of canine. We conclude that the new technique can be reproduced in vitro, and in different vessels of different species, in vivo. The new algorithm is easy to use to determine wave speed and separate D and U waveforms into their forward and backward directions. Using this technique has the merits of utilising noninvasive measurements, which would be useful in the clinical setting.