Real-Time Evaluation of Time-Domain Pulse Rate Variability Parameters in Different Postures and Breathing Patterns...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Photoplethysmography (PPG) is crucial for cardiovascular biomarker assessment.
• Understanding remote PPG applications, especially in resource-limited settings, remains limited.
• Ultra-short-term pulse rate variability (PRV) analysis offers insights into autonomic function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess a low-cost wireless PPG device's performance.
• To evaluate PRV parameter detection across various postures and breathing patterns.
• To determine the viability of PPG for remote cardiovascular monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous ECG and PPG recording from 30 healthy subjects using wearable sensors.
• Extraction and comparison of four time-domain HRV and PRV parameters.
• Statistical analysis (ANOVA/Scheirer-Ray-Hare) and data loss calculation.

Main Results:

• Posture did not significantly affect PRV parameters, though indicator differences were noted.
• RMSSD indicator showed high variability in the standing posture.
• Sitting posture yielded lowest data loss (1.0 ± 0.6%) and minimal factor differences.

Conclusions:

• Commercial PPG and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices enable reliable real-time PPG signal and PRV indicator extraction.
• The evaluated low-cost PPG system is suitable for remote cardiovascular monitoring.
• Further research can explore PPG's utility in diverse clinical and remote settings.