Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation in Ultra-Fast Ultrasound Brachial Artery Simulation

Local pulse wave velocity (PWV) is considered a marker of arterial stiffness and is commonly assessed in large arteries, such as carotids and aorta. However, its assessment in peripheral arteries, such as the brachial artery, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we tested two PWV estimation methods, originally developed for major arteries, to assess if they could be adapted for application in the brachial artery, employing a simulation of the brachial artery. The two methods tested are based on wall displacement tracking and tissue Doppler imaging, both relying on ultra-fast ultrasound acquisition. Simulations were performed under different noise conditions, corresponding to various signal-to-noise ratios, to evaluate the robustness of each method. Our results show that while the tissue Doppler imaging-based method produced more consistent results for higher velocities, both methods struggled when applied to the brachial artery. The wall displacement based method proved accurate at very low velocities but failed to estimate brachial PWV reliably, while the tissue Doppler imaging based method showed promising results but still needs refinement for accurate local PWV measurements. These results suggest that, while adapting these methods for the brachial artery is possible, further improvements are needed. Developing a reliable approach for brachial PWV estimation could enhance our understanding of non-invasive blood pressure measurement, potentially leading to more accurate and effective clinical applications.