The use of lasers to remotely and non-invasively detect the blood pressure waveform of humans and animals
would provide a powerful diagnostic tool. Current blood pressure measurement tools, such as a cuff, are not useful for
burn and trauma victims, and animals require catheterization to acquire accurate blood pressure information. The
purpose of our sensor method and apparatus invention is to remotely and non-invasively detect the blood pulse
waveform of both animals and humans. This device is used to monitor an animal or human's skin in proximity to an
artery using radiation from a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). This system measures the velocity (or displacement) of
the pulsatile motion of the skin, indicative of physiological parameters of the arterial motion in relation to the cardiac
cycle. Tests have been conducted that measures surface velocity with an LDV and a signal-processing unit, with
enhanced detection obtained with optional hardware including a retro-reflector dot. The blood pulse waveform is
obtained by integrating the velocity signal to get surface displacement using standard signal processing techniques.
Continuous recording of the blood pulse waveform yields data containing information on cardiac health and can be
analyzed to identify important events in the cardiac cycle, such as heart rate, the timing of peak systole, left ventricular
ejection time and aortic valve closure. Experimental results are provided that demonstrates the current capabilities of the
optical, non-contact sensor for the continuous, non-contact recording of the blood pulse waveform without causing patient distress.
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