Real time acquisition, processing and analysis of human carotid pulse waveforms using MATLAB

Carotid signal obtained from the patient with the help of piezoelectric sensor may be used to assess the patient´s cardiac activity. Many methods based on various principles have been developed to measure the carotid pressure waveform. A piezoelectric sensor based system has been designed, developed and placed on the subject´s carotid artery. The piezoelectric sensor has a transducing element adapted to sense movement due to carotid pulse and produce piezoelectric signal data in response thereto. The real time data of carotid pulse waveforms of ten human subjects in various body postures are acquired using wired as well as wireless system and filtered using MATLAB software. RR period and pulse amplitudes are quantified from the recordings by visual inspection. The technique may be used to measure and manage G stress effect on aircraft pilot.