Introduction

Arterial vascular stiffness is a significant independent predictor of cardiovascular risk and mortality, as it provides information about the state of health of the arteries. The proposed device through the continuous and real-time monitoring of the PWV trend, allows the early and timely identification of potential organ damages.

Technical features

The importance of Pulse Wave Velocity measurement in medical practice has so far struggled to spread. The measurement, taking place in a discrete manner, requires that the pulse wave signals have to be acquired first, and then the speed that this wave takes to propagate between two points is evaluated. This procedure, requiring a long time for measurement, prevents this parameter from being measured continuously, foreclosing its application as a possible direct retroactive control of the subject’s health state. Through the proposed system, able to guarantee continuous monitoring of the parameter and minimum measurement times compared to current available methods, this assessment can undergo a radical change allowing the diffusion of the evaluation of the PWV parameter. With the software developed it is in fact possible to monitor the PWV trend in real-time, considerably expanding the possible applications in the diagnostic field.

Possible Applications

• Measurement of PWV in hospitals;
• Identification of the arterial stiffness;
• Identification of the patient’s cardiovascular risk.

Advantages

• Allows continuous measurement of PWV;
• Measurement times reduced to 10 minutes, compared to the 25 minutes required by current instruments;
• Reliability for high PWV values;
• Ease of use for practitioners;
• Device made with off-the-shelf component, low-cost compared to the others.