A robust method for pulse peak determination in a digital volume pulse waveform with a wandering baseline

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Physiological Monitoring

Background:

• Digital Volume Pulse (DVP) analysis is crucial for cardiovascular monitoring.
• Wandering baselines in DVP signals complicate accurate pulse peak detection.
• Existing methods often struggle with accuracy and computational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust algorithm for precise pulse peak determination in DVP waveforms.
• To address challenges posed by wandering baselines and signal fluctuations.
• To enhance the accuracy and efficiency of DVP signal analysis for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• A modified morphological filter (MMF) was employed to remove baseline wander with minimal signal distortion.
• A slope sum function (SSF) with adaptive thresholding was utilized for pulse peak detection on the baseline-removed signal.
• Knowledge-based rules were applied as a postprocessor to manage over- and under-detected peaks, with automatic parameter adjustment.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrated superior performance compared to conventional techniques.
• Achieved a high true detection rate of 97.32% (within a 4 ms acceptance level).
• Reported a low normalized error rate of 0.18% and efficient computational burden (0.125s/min).

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a robust and accurate solution for pulse peak determination in DVP signals.
• It significantly improves signal-to-error ratio and detection accuracy.
• The algorithm is highly beneficial for subsequent Pulse Transit Time (PTT) and Pulse Rate Variability (PRV) analyses.