The arterial pulse wave contains a wealth of information on both the heart and the blood vessels.
Consequently, several pulse wave analysis algorithms have been proposed to assess cardiovascular properties from the pulse wave, as shown below.
These measurement techniques have the advantage of being non-invasive, and relatively cheap.
However, it is difficult to assess their performance across a range of cardiovascular conditions in vivo.
The aim of this project is to create a database of simulated pulse waves, representative of those which would be measured in a sample of healthy adults, to facilitate in silico assessments of pulse wave analysis algorithms.
Pulse wave analysis: Analysing a pulse wave to estimate cardiovascular properties (created using PulseAnalyse).
Features of the Pulse Wave Database
The Pulse Wave Database contains simulated pulse waves:
At different anatomical sites
Pulse waves at different anatomical sites The database contains pulse waves simulated at a range of anatomical sites, including 13 common measurement sites.
For subjects of different ages
Pulse waves for subjects aged 25 - 75 years old: Pressure pulse waves at the carotid artery (left), and the brachial artery (right).
With different cardiovascular properties
Pulse waves simulated for different cardiovascular properties: The database contains pulse waves simulated under a range of cardiovascular properties. Here, the PPG pulse waves at the wrist are shown for variations in four properties (red indicates an increase from the baseline value in black, and blue indicates a decrease).
Capturing changes which occur with pulse wave propagation
Pulse wave propagation: The methods used to simulate pulse waves capture the effects of pulse wave propagation. This figure shows how the pressure pulse wave varied with distance from the aortic root to the foot.
Including different types of pulse waves
Different types of pulse waves: The database contains pressure, flow velocity, luminal area, flow rate and photoplethysmogram (PPG) pulse waves.
These features of the pulse wave database make it suitable for addressing a wide range of research questions. Examples of research questions which can be addressed using the database are provided in the case studies in this article.
