Pedro Vaz

Pulse pressure waveform estimation using distension profiling with contactless optical probe

The pulse pressure waveform has, for long, been known as a fundamental biomedical signal and its analysis is recognized as a non-invasive, simple, and resourceful technique for the assessment of arterial vessels condition observed in several diseases. In the current paper, waveforms from non-invasive optical probe that measures carotid artery distension profiles are compared with the waveforms of the pulse pressure acquired by intra-arterial catheter invasive measurement in the ascending aorta. Measurements were performed in a study population of 16 patients who had undergone cardiac catheterization. The hemodynamic parameters: area under the curve (AUC), the area during systole (AS) and the area during diastole (AD), their ratio (AD/AS) and the ejection time index (ETI), from invasive and non-invasive measurements were compared. The results show that the pressure waveforms obtained by the two methods are similar, with 13% of mean value of the root mean square error (RMSE). Moreover, the correlation coefficient demonstrates the strong correlation. The comparison between the AUCs allows the assessment of the differences between the phases of the cardiac cycle. In the systolic period the waveforms are almost equal, evidencing greatest clinical relevance during this period. Slight differences are found in diastole, probably due to the structural arterial differences. The optical probe has lower variability than the invasive system (13% vs 16%). This study validates the capability of acquiring the arterial pulse waveform with a non-invasive method, using a non-contact optical probe at the carotid site with residual differences from the aortic invasive measurements.

Empirical mode decomposition for self-mixing Doppler signals of hemodynamic optical probes.

A new type of optical probe based on laser Doppler self-mixing technology, for a truly non-contact measurement in a single location, and extraction of the temporal features of the distension wave in the arterial wall, was developed. The monitoring of temporal features allows the assessment of cardiovascular function when measurement is carried out at the carotid artery. An algorithm based on the short-time Fourier transform and empirical mode decomposition was applied to the test setup self-mixing signals for the determination of waveform features, with an accuracy of a few milliseconds and a root mean square error less than 3 ms. In vivo testing signals show great consistency in the measured pulse pressure waveform.

Effect of static scatterers in laser speckle contrast imaging: an experimental study on correlation and contrast

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a non-invasive microvascular blood flow assessment technique with good temporal and spatial resolution. Most LSCI systems, including commercial devices, can perform only qualitative blood flow evaluation, which is a major limitation of this technique. There are several factors that prevent the utilization of LSCI as a quantitative technique. Among these factors, we can highlight the effect of static scatterers. The goal of this work was to study the influence of differences in static and dynamic scatterer concentration on laser speckle correlation and contrast. In order to achieve this, a laser speckle prototype was developed and tested using an optical phantom with various concentrations of static and dynamic scatterers. It was found that the laser speckle correlation could be used to estimate the relative concentration of static/dynamic scatterers within a sample. Moreover, the speckle correlation proved to be independent of the dynamic scatterer velocity, which is a fundamental characteristic to be used in contrast correction.

Laser speckle contrast analysis for pulse waveform extraction

The present paper shows a method for pulse waveform extraction using laser speckle contrast analysis. An experimental apparatus was assembled, using a coherent light source and a digital video camera to record time varying speckle patterns emitted from the radial artery. The speckle data were analysed by computing the speckle pattern contrast on a sequence of video frames. The speckle pulse wave signal was then compared with a photoplethysmographic signal both time and frequency domain. A total of thirty data-sets were acquired from 10 individuals. Subjects heart rate was identified with a root mean square error of 1.3 beats per minute. Signals similarity was evaluated using spectral coherence with an overall mean coherence of 0.63. Speckle contrast analysis is a newly commercialized technique to monitor microvascular blood flow. However, these results demonstrate the ability of the same technique to extract pulse waveform information. The inclusion of this feature in the current speckle devices is only associated with a slightly change in the signal processing techniques and video acquisition parameters but can be very useful in clinical context.

An automatic method for motion artifacts detection in photoplethysmographic signals referenced with electrocardiography data

This work presents an automatic motion artifact detection algorithm for photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals with synchronized electrocardiography (ECG) data. 18 features from time and frequency domain were extracted and used in a support vector machine (SVM) for automatic classification. The performance achieved by this method (SE: 87.5%, SP: 85.5% and CR: 86.8%) proves that the information extracted from the relationship between electrocardiography and PPG can be used to identify segments of motion artifacts in PPG signals.

Use of laser speckle and entropy computation to segment images of diffuse objects with longitudinal motion

A system using laser speckle effect is proposed to segment images reflecting vibration movements of di use targets. Longitudinal movements are difficult to identify when simple imaging systems are used. The proposed system produces a two dimensional segmentation of the target and it is sensitive to longitudinal movements. The speckle effect, produced when coherent light is reflected and interferes when hitting rough surfaces, can be used in order to accomplish this purpose. A pattern with high and low intensity spots is observed depending on the illuminated scene. In our optical system, two silicone membranes are illuminated using a beam expanded laser source and their patterns are recorded using a video camera. One of the membranes experiences a longitudinal controlled movement while the remaining scene is still. Speckle data is processed using a temporal gradient and a regional entropy computation. This method produces a binary individual pixel classification. Four sets of parameters have been tested for the entropy computation and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to select the best one. The selected set-up achieved a ROC value of 0.9879. A data set with 12 different membrane velocities was used to define the threshold that maximizes the classifier accuracy. This threshold was applied to a validation data-set composed by 4 sinusoidal movements with distinct velocities. The accuracy of this technique has achieved values between 92% and 97%. The results show that the target was accurately identified with the optical non-contact apparatus and the developed algorithm.

Performance Analysis of Spatial Laser Speckle Contrast Implementations.

This work presents an analysis of the performances for four different implementations used to compute laser speckle contrast on images. Laser speckle contrast is a widely used imaging technique for biomedical applications. These implementations were tested using synthetic laser speckle patterns with different resolutions, speckle sizes, and contrasts. From the applied methods, three implementations are already known in the literature. A new alternative is proposed herein, which relies on two-dimensional convolutions, in order to improve the image processing time without compromising the contrast assessment. The proposed implementation achieves a processing time two orders of magnitude lower than the analytical evaluation. The goal of this technical manuscript is to help the developers and researchers in computing laser speckle contrast images.

Laser Based Sensors for Hemodynamic Parameters Measurement

This short note presents an overview of some laser-baser methods used to extract hemodynamic parameters. The sensors and methods have been divided in two application fields, microcirculation and macrocirculation. For further readings about this subject please consult the cited references.

Submicron Surface Vibration Profiling Using Doppler Self-Mixing Techniques

Doppler self-mixing laser probing techniques are often used for vibration measurement with very high accuracy. A novel optoelectronic probe solution is proposed, based on off-the-shelf components, with a direct reflection optical scheme for contactless characterization of the target’s movement. This probe was tested with two test bench apparatus that enhance its precision performance, with a linear actuator at low frequency (35 µm, 5–60 Hz), and its dynamics, with disc shaped transducers for small amplitude and high frequency (0.6 µm, 100–2500 Hz). The results, obtained from well-established signal processing methods for self-mixing Doppler signals, allowed the evaluation of vibration velocity and amplitudes with an average error of less than 10%. The impedance spectrum of piezoelectric (PZ) disc target revealed a maximum of impedance (around 1 kHz) for minimal Doppler shift. A bidimensional scan over the PZ disc surface allowed the categorization of the vibration mode (0, 1) and explained its deflection directions. The feasibility of a laser vibrometer based on self-mixing principles and supported by tailored electronics able to accurately measure submicron displacements was, thus, successfully demonstrated.

Clinical Test for Validation of a New Optical Probe for Hemodynamic Parameters Assessment

The assessment of the cardiovascular system condition based on multiple parameters allows a more precise and accurate diagnosis of the heart and arterial tree condition. For this reason, the interest in non-invasive devices has presently increased in importance. In this work, an optical probe was tested in order to validate this technology for measuring multiple parameters such as Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) or Augmentation Index (AIx), amongst others. The PWV measured by the optical probe was previously compared with the values obtained with the gold-standard system. Another analysis was performed in 131 young subjects to establish carotid PWV reference values as well as other hemodynamic parameters and to find correlations between these and the population characteristics. The results allowed us to conclude that this new technique is a reliable method to determine these parameters. The range of the obtained values for local PWV are in agreement with the values obtained by other studies, and significant correlations with age and smoking status were found. The AIx varied between −6.15 % and 11.46 % and exhibit a negative correlation with heart rate, and dP/dtmax shows a significant decrease with age.