Non-invasive estimation of arm arterial compliance

Impulsive body accelerations in the vertical direction were produced in human volunteers by means of an acceleration table, and the consequent blood volume changes at the finger measured through a photoplethysmograph. The obtained results were analyzed with a distributed parameter model of arterial hemodynamics, previously developed by the authors. Best fitting between model predictions and experimental results was achieved by modifying a few physical and geometrical parameters of the model. Results of the minimization procedure demonstrate that brachial arterial compliance can be estimated with sufficient accuracy with this technique. In perspective, the proposed method may help clinicians in non-invasive diagnoses of the state of the arterial wall.<>