Photoplethysmography. Part 1. Comparison with laser Doppler flowmetry

Photoplethysmography (PPG) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) were compared and evaluated. The comparison was accomplished considering differences in physical principles and geometrical and optical conditions. Changes in human skin perfusion were induced by cold and hot water provocation on limited areas of the finger and the forearm. The results showed that LDF and PPG, using red light at 630-660 nm and a commercial PPG probe, were in general equally sensitive in detecting a blood perfusion increase following a skin temperature elevation. However, we also found that PPG occasionally showed an inverse response to a skin temperature elevation, especially in finger skin. Furthermore, the study indicated that laser light is unsuitable as a light source in PPG using optical fibres of small diameter and with no fibre separation. It was also found that the physical dimensions of the probe (including the light source and photodetector) play an important role in determining the measuring volume and the quality of the signal.