Pulse wave velocity measurement along the ulnar artery in the wrist region using a high-frequency ultrasonic probe with H-topology

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are considered as the main cause of death representing more than 30% of worldwide casualties according to the World Health Organization [1]. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a relevant indicator of CVD [2] at an early stage since it directly reflects the age and stiffness of the arterial network. A PWV measurement method using a high-frequency (15 MHz) ultrasound probe with a H-topology made for vascular imaging is presented in this paper. The probe includes a longitudinal 128-element linear array at the center of the probe and two orthogonal 64-element linear arrays on each side of the probe. This solution makes the probe very well suited to the anatomy of smaller arteries, enabling both longitudinal and cross-sectional simultaneous imaging of the artery of interest. High frame-rate (HFR) plane wave imaging (10 000 frames per second) is employed for a precise PWV measurement which is performed in-vivo on a healthy volunteer. The long-term objective of this work is to develop an innovative device using a dedicated ultrasonic probe and integrating a miniaturized electronic system. The system would be able to automatically drive the probe, collect data and calculate the PWV in ambulatory situations, on-demand or during periodical routine check-ups. The device would be used at the wrist above the ulnar artery to measure the local PWV.