A Preliminary Study on Arterial Stiffness Assessment Using Photoplethysmographic Sensors

Cardiovascular diseases represent the cause of 31% of all global deaths. Unfortunately, there are many difficulties in diagnosing them in a preventive, non-invasive and inexpensive way. However, there are important risk markers, including arterial stiffness. The current reference technique for assessing aortic stiffness is the measurement of Pulse Wave Velocity, and a commonly used mathematical model is the Moens–Korteweg equation, which relates Pulse Wave Velocity to arterial stiffness. A pair of photoplethysmographic sensors was used in this study to estimate Pulse Wave Velocity and, consequently, arterial stiffness on silicone phantom models with different geometric and mechanical properties. These models were placed in an experimental in vitro system that simulated the physiological conditions of a cardiovascular apparatus. The PPG sensors were positioned at three specific distances to determine a possible optimal distance for the estimation of arterial stiffness. The purpose of this study is to enhance the use of PPG sensors for monitoring the mechanical properties of blood vessels and, thus, to prevent potential cardiovascular pathologies.