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The Investigation of Bio-impedance Analysis at a Wrist Phantom with Two Pulsatile Arteries

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Abstract

Purpose

Bio-impedance analysis (BIA) has been widely investigated for hemodynamic monitoring. However, previous works rarely modelled two synchronously pulsatile arteries (representing the radial and ulnar arteries) in the wrist/forearm model. This work aims to clarify and quantify the influences of two pulsatile arteries on BIA.

Methods

First, two blood-filled arteries were structured in a 3D wrist segment using the finite element method (FEM). Afterwards, an easy-to-produce two-arteries artificial wrist was fabricated with two components: gelatine-based surrounding tissue phantom and saline blood phantom. A syringe driver was utilised to constrict the arteries, and the impedance signals were measured using a Multi-frequency Impedance Analyser (MFIA).

Results

Both simulation and experimental results demonstrated the non-negligible influences of the ulnar artery on the overall BIA, inducing unwanted resistance changes to the acquired signals from the radial artery. The phantom experiments revealed the summation of the individual resistance changes caused by a single pulsatile artery was approximately equal to the measured resistance change caused by two synchronously pulsatile arteries, confirming the measured impedance signal at the wrist contains the pulsatile information from both arteries.

Conclusion

This work is the first simulation and phantom investigation into two synchronously pulsatile arteries under BIA in the distal forearm, providing a better insight and understanding in the morphology of measured impedance signals. Future research can accordingly select either a small spacing 4-spot electrode configuration for a single artery sensing or a band electrode configuration for overall pulsatile arteries sensing. A more accurate estimation of blood volume change and pulse wave analysis (PWA) could help to develop cuffless blood pressure measurement (BPM).

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted at the Institute of Biotechnology (IBtec) as part of the PhD Program funded by the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology.

Funding

This research was funded by Institute of Biomedical Technologies (IBTec), the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology.

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  1. Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand

    Yang Yu, Andrew Lowe, Gautam Anand, Anubha Kalra & Huiyang Zhang

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Yu, Y., Lowe, A., Anand, G. et al. The Investigation of Bio-impedance Analysis at a Wrist Phantom with Two Pulsatile Arteries. Cardiovasc Eng Tech 14, 810–826 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-023-00689-9

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