New instrumentation for cardiovascular risk assessment: The role of pulse wave velocity

Over the last years, great emphasis has been placed on the role of arterial stiffness in the development of cardiovascular diseases. This hemodynamic parameter, generally associated to age and blood pressure increase, can be assessed by the measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV). Currently available devices that measure PWV are expensive and need to be operated by skilled medical staff, reducing the potential of ambulatory setting. This research project aims at developing and testing the sensoring and algorithmic basis of an alternative and non-invasive device for PWV assessment. The proposed device is based on a double-headed sensor probe and allows the assessment of PWV in one single location, providing important information on local arterial hemodynamics. Although studies to validate the clinical use of this system are still required, it has already demonstrated good performance on a dedicated test bench system, capable of reproducing a range of relevant cardiovascular system's properties.