Pulse wave velocity measurement along the ulnar artery in the wrist region using a high frequency ultrasonic array.

A pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement method performed above a small blood vessel using an ultrasonic probe is studied and reported in this paper. These experimentations are carried out using a high-frequency probe (14-22 MHz), allowing a high level of resolution compatible with the vessel dimensions, combined with an open research ultrasound scanner. High frame-rate (HFR) imaging (10 000 frames per second) is used for a precise PWV estimation. The measurements are performed in-vivo on a healthy volunteer. The probe is placed above the ulnar artery on the wrist in order to make longitudinal scans. In addition to conventional duplex ultrasound evaluation, the measurement of the PWV using this method at this location could strengthen the detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), in particular for arm artery diseases (AADs). Moreover, these experimentations are also carried out within the scope of a demonstration for a potential miniaturized and wearable device (i.e., a probe with fewer elements, typically less than 32, and its associated electronics). The study has shown results coherent with expected PWV and also promising complementary results such as intima-media thickness (IMT) with spatiotemporal resolution on the order of 6.2 μm and 0.1 ms.