Fenwick Scholar Program

A Remote and Non-Contact Method for Obtaining the Blood-Pulse Waveform with a Laser Doppler Vibrometer

Date of Award

9-27-2007

Project Type

Thesis

Department

Mathematics

First Advisor

Edward J. Soares

Abstract

The use of lasers to remotely and non-invasively detect the blood pressure waveform of humans and animals will provide a powerful diagnostic tool. Currently, blood pressure measurement tools are not useful for burn and trauma victims, and animals require catheterization to acquire accurate blood pressure information. The purpose of the LDV sensor method and apparatus invention is to remotely and noninvasively detect the blood pulse waveform of both animals and humans. This invention is used to monitor an animal's or human's skin in proximity to an a11ery using laser radiation from a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). This system measures the velocity (or displacement) of the pulsatile motion of the skin, indicative of physiological parameters of the arterial motion in relation to the cardiac cycle.

Tests have been conducted with an LDV that measures surface velocity, and a signal-processing unit, with enhanced detection obtained with optional hardware including a retro-reflector dot. The blood pulse waveform is obtained by integrating the velocity signal to get skin surface displacement using standard signal processing techniques. Continuous recording of the blood pulse waveform collects data containing information on cardiac health and can be analyzed to identify important events in the cardiac cycle, such as heart rate, and the timing of peak systole and of the dicrotic notch. The results presented will include plots of the blood pulse waveform measured at various arterial locations, and under different stress conditions. In addition, the blood pulse waveforms of a smaller animal will be presented.

Comments

Readers: De-Ping Yang, Leon Claessens

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