Title: Online acquisition and wireless transmission of carotid pulse waveforms to analyse posture related changes

Authors: Sharda Vashisth; Munna Khan; Ritu Vijay; Ashok K. Salhan

Addresses: Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering Department, ITM University, Gurgaon 122017, Haryana, India ' Electrical Engineering Department, Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi 110025, India ' Electronics Department, Banasthali University, Banasthali 304022, Rajasthan, India ' Biomedical Instrumentation Division, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, DRDO, Delhi 110054, India

Abstract: The physiological parameters of the fighter plane pilot undergo drastic changes leading to G stress accumulation. Heart rate is considered primary mechanism which plays a great role in acceleration protection research especially for G-LOC (G-induced loss of consciousness). Various methods based on various principles have been developed to study heart rate so far. Carotid pulse waveforms obtained from the human subject with the help of piezoelectric transducer may be used to analyse the cardiac activity. Change in heart rate due to change in the posture may be used to explain G stress effect on humans. Carotid signal is acquired by placing piezoelectric sensor based system on the subject's carotid artery. The piezoelectric sensor has a transducing element which is efficient and effective to sense movement due to carotid pulse and produce piezoelectric signal data in response thereto. The real time data of carotid pulse waveforms of 12 human subjects are acquired and filtered using MATLAB software in various body postures. RR period and pulse amplitudes are quantified from real time recorded carotid signal by visual inspection. Further Statistical analysis is done to calculate the heart rate. The filtered stored data is transmitted wirelessly from one PC to another PC using Teamviewer software.

Keywords: wireless transmission; piezoelectric sensors; MATLAB software; carotid signals; Teamviewer software; biomedical engineering; carotid pulse waveforms; posture changes; body postures; physiology; fighter pilots; G stress accumulation; acceleration protection; loss of consciousness; heart rate; piezoelectric transducers; cardiac activity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2012.050293

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2012 Vol.10 No.3, pp.255 - 265

Published online: 12 Dec 2014 *

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