Improved Vibration-Model-Based Analysis for Estimation of Arterial Parameters From Noninvasively Measured Arterial Pulse Signals

With the goal of achieving consistence in interpretation of an arterial pulse signal between its vibration model and its hemodynamic relations and improving its physiological implications in our previous study, this paper presents an improved vibration-model-based analysis for estimation of arterial parameters: elasticity (E), viscosity (η), and radius (r0) at diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the arterial wall, from a noninvasively measured arterial pulse signal. The arterial wall is modeled as a unit-mass vibration model, and its spring stiffness (K) and damping coefficient (D) are related to arterial parameters. Key features of a measured pulse signal and its first-order and second-order derivatives are utilized to estimate the values of K and D. These key features are then utilized in hemodynamic relations, where their interpretation is consistent with the vibration model, to estimate the value of r0 from K and D. Consequently, E, η, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are also estimated from K and D. The improved vibration-model-based analysis was conducted on pulse signals of a few healthy subjects measured under two conditions: at-rest and immediately post-exercise. With E, r0, and PWV at-rest as baseline, their changes immediately post-exercise were found to be consistent with the related findings in the literature. Thus, this improved vibration-model-based analysis is validated and contributes to estimation of arterial parameters with better physiological implications, as compared with its previous counterpart.