• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.1 no.5
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• pp.529-537
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• 2017

We explored how changes in blood vessel compliance affected the systolic rise time (SRT) of the maximum blood pressure (BP) peak wave and the diastolic fall time (DFT) of the minimal BP peak wave, compared to photoplethysmograpic (PPG) parameters, using a two-compartment, second-order, arterial Windkessel model. We employed earlier two-compartment Windkessel models and the components thereof to construct equivalent blood vessel circuits, and reproduced BP waveforms using PSpice technology. The SRT and DFT values were obtained via circuit simulation, considering variations in compliance (the dominant influence on blood vessel parameters attributable to BP changes). And then performed regression analysis to identify how compliance affected the SRT and DFT. We compared the SRTs and DFTs of BP waves to the PPG values by reference to BP changes in each subject. We confirmed that the time-shift propensities of BP waves and the PPG data were highly consistent. However, the time shifts differed significantly among subjects. These simulation and experimental results allowed us to construct an initial trend curve of individual BP peak time (measured via wrist PPG evaluations at three arm positions) that facilitated accurate individual BP estimations.