Cardiovascular diseases are a common problem in the world. Every year there is an increase in the number of deaths caused due to it. A cardiovascular disease may be caused by either negligence or excess of certain activities i.e. high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption etc. But death rate due to high blood pressure is higher when compared to others.
In order to detect various characteristic of a cardiovascular system, a patient’s blood flow may be detected through the surface of the skin. Methods of detecting the blood flow may be largely divided into two types of methods: a method of detecting blood pressure at the surface of the skin by using a pressure sensor, and a method of detecting a change in blood flow under the surface of the skin by using light.
In the case of detecting blood pressure at the surface of the skin, by analyzing the shape of a pressure profile of the skin surface, the elasticity of a blood vessel can be calculated, and thus, the age of the blood vessel or the health of the patient’s cardiovascular system may be determined. In the case of detecting a change in blood flow using light, a ratio of oxyhaemoglobin to deoxyhaemoglobin is estimated by using light having at least two different wavelengths, and thus, a degree of oxygen saturation may be estimated.
The information gathered from the two methods may be more useful when synchronized with information regarding the patient’s pulse. However, such a technology was not available till now. Recently, Samsung, in one of its patents, has disclosed a technology that provides simultaneous detection of surface pressure and blood volume of patients optically.
Samsung’s device might include a band to tie the device to the patient’s skin. It will then apply a predetermined amount of pressure to the transparent elastic body so that transparent elastic body tightly contacts the patient’s skin.
This device includes light emitters and receivers. A light emitter emits light of different wavelengths for different purposes which are received by the receivers. The surface pressure of the skin is detected through the first wavelength and the blood volume is detected through the second wavelength. First wavelength light gets reflected from the dichroic coating and is received by the first detector. The electrical signals generated after the detection of first wavelength light measures the surface pressure. A portion of second wavelength light enters into the skin through the dichroic coating. Some of the light of the second wavelength is absorbed by blood components and a remaining portion of the light of the second wavelength light is reflected and received by light receiver. An electrical signal generated by light receiver in response to the detected light of the second wavelength is used to calculate blood volume of patient.
We hope the device comes to the market as quickly as possible so that more people can be checked and treated against the deadly cardiovascular diseases.