Highly Sensitive Pressure Transducer for Measuring Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity Based on Giant Magneto-Impedance Sensors.

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been recognised as the gold standard for assessing arterial stiffness and a relevant indicator in diagnosing cardiovascular disease. Conventional approaches can be affected by factors such as the size of the probe, its positioning on the skin with the appropriate angle and magnitude of the incident force, or influenced by optical properties. Aiming at improving the assessment of PWV parameter, an important cardiovascular risk marker, the present study introduces a new arterial pulse wave measurement technique based on measurements of the impedance phase characteristics of giant magneto-impedance (GMI) sensors submitted to slight magnetic field variations caused by the displacement of a small magnetic marker placed on the patient's skin, whose movement is coordinated by the local pressure wave. The proposed method eliminates the necessity of using probes with mechanical amplification, enhancing spatial resolution and usability in hard-to-reach anatomical regions through a contactless device unaffected by optical parameters. The obtained experimental results indicate the potential of the developed measurement system in measuring arterial pulse waveform and PWV.