Carotid Arterial Pulse Waveform Measurements Using Fiber Bragg Grating Pulse Probe

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Arterial pulse analysis is crucial for cardiovascular health assessment.
• Central aortic pressure is a superior predictor of cardiovascular status compared to peripheral pressure.
• The carotid arterial pulse is the optimal indicator of central aortic pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel noninvasive fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor probe for real-time carotid arterial pulse waveform (CAPW) acquisition.
• To assess the feasibility and ease of use of the developed FBG pulse probe (FBGPP) at the carotid arterial site.
• To analyze the acquired CAPW for evaluating vital cardiovascular parameters and their linearity.

Main Methods:

• Development of a noninvasive FBG pulse probe (FBGPP) utilizing an elastic rubber diaphragm and an FBG sensor.
• The FBGPP is designed for easy positioning and access to the carotid arterial site.
• Acquisition of beat-to-beat CAPW and subsequent pulse wave analysis to determine cardiovascular parameters.

Main Results:

• Successful development and demonstration of the FBGPP for real-time CAPW acquisition.
• The probe allows for easy and noninvasive measurement of carotid pulse waveforms.
• Analysis of CAPW revealed key cardiovascular parameters including heart rate, left ventricular ejection time, carotid augmentation index, and ejection duration index.
• Exploration of linearity between these cardiovascular parameters in a sample of 55 individuals.

Conclusions:

• The novel FBG pulse probe (FBGPP) offers a reliable, noninvasive method for capturing carotid arterial pulse waveforms (CAPW).
• The device facilitates the real-time evaluation of critical cardiovascular parameters, aiding in the assessment of cardiac health.
• Further analysis demonstrated the linearity of these parameters, supporting the clinical utility of the FBGPP.