Soft wireless sternal patch to detect systemic vasoconstriction using photoplethysmography

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Nathan Zavanelli, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sung Hoon Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology; Matthew Guess, Georgia Institute of Technology; Woon-Hong Yeo, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-03-17
• Publisher: CELL PRESS
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 The Author(s)
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106184
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: ISCIENCE
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 106184
• End Page: 106184
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Multidisciplinary Sciences; Science & Technology - Other Topics
• Research Categories: Computer Science; Engineering, Mechanical

Abstract

Vasoconstriction is a crucial physiological process that serves as the body's primary blood pressure regulation mechanism and a key marker of numerous harmful health conditions. The ability to detect vasoconstriction in real time would be crucial for detecting blood pressure, identifying sympathetic arousals, characterizing patient wellbeing, detecting sickle cell anemia attacks early, and identifying complications caused by hypertension medications. However, vasoconstriction manifests weakly in traditional photoplethysmogram (PPG) measurement locations, like the finger, toe, and ear. Here, we report a wireless, fully integrated, soft sternal patch to capture PPG signals from the sternum, an anatomical region that exhibits a robust vasoconstrictive response. With healthy controls, the device is highly capable of detecting vasoconstriction induced endogenously and exogenously. Furthermore, in overnight trials with patients with sleep apnea, the device shows a high agreement (r2 = 0.74) in vasoconstriction detection with a commercial system, demonstrating its potential use in portable, continuous, long-term vasoconstriction monitoring.