Pulse wave signal analysis and finding the quantitative indicators of cardiovascular health

Abstract

In this study, a pulse wave acquisition system with a pezoresistive pressure sensor using indium tin oxide nanocrystal-plant fiber composites was constructed for acquiring human pulse wave signals and blood pressure data, and then the pulse wave signals were quantitatively investigated to reveal the intrinsic connection between pulse wave signals and human physiological characteristics. The pulse data obtained were first denoised and corrected for baseline drift using a Butterworth filter. Subsequently, pulse waves were fitted using a double Gaussian function to extract cardiovascular physiological information, including the time interval between pulse wave peaks and first- or second-order derivative features. The fitting parameters and combinations were statistically analyzed according to the mechanism of pulse generation, and significant correlations were found between age and parameter H2, heart rate and parameter H1, and blood pressure and parameter W12 (the right half of the full width at half maximum of the main wave). It has been shown that the pulse wave contains much health information related to blood pressure, heart rate, and age. These parameters can be used as quantifiable health indicators with well-defined reference ranges. The statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in these metrics highlights their potential clinical value in early disease detection and progression monitoring.