Non-Invasive Instant Measurement of Arterial Stiffness Based on High-Density Flexible Sensor Array

This paper reports an innovative, non-invasive and instant method of arterial stiffness measurement. We delineate the tactile signals of arteries with varying stiffness using a dense sensor array, and analyze the factors affecting human tactility of stiffness and softness at fingertip with a deep learning model. Based on the most influential factor, an algorithm to instantaneously estimate the arterial stiffness is developed for the first time. The five stiffness grades ranked in order of the stiffness index (SI) may serve as an indicator of arterial aging and are expected to assist in early screening for certain cardiovascular diseases (CVD).