Mapping of peripheral venous hemodynamics using a low-cost camera: a proof-of-concept

Le résumé fourni par la source

The calf muscle pump (CMP) and the venous valves are powerful mechanisms of the body that aid the venous blood return from the lower extremities to the heart.This paper describes an image processing method to visualize venous blood volume variations generated by the CMP during the so-called "Venous Muscle Pump Test" (VMPT).In this test, rhythmical dorsal movements of the foot contract the calf muscle, consequently generating venous blood pulsations that are detected and analyzed using photoplethysmography (PPG).Our feasibility study involved five young male participants and used a low-cost webcam to acquire data and a contact-based PPG sensor as a reference.Mainly, Variational Mode Decomposition is employed to segment the resting positions between leg movements, followed by morphological operations and image enhancing techniques.Thus, relative blood volume variations on the leg are highlighted, allowing the mapping of venous blood perfusion in space and time.The proposed method provides a more comprehensive assessment of the CMP than its contact-based counterpart, allowing for a better understanding of superficial venous microcirculation patterns.Our camera-based approach offers an inexpensive, robust, and completely remote venous hemodynamic assessment, further extending current photoplethysmography imaging (PPGI) capabilities and enabling localized venous insufficiency diagnosis and thrombose prevention.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.