Development of a PPG Sensor Array as a Wearable Device to Monitor Cardiovascular Metrics

Wearable devices with integrated sensors for tracking human vitals are widely used for a variety of applications, including exercise, wellness, and health monitoring. Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors use pulse oximetry to measure pulse rate, cardiac cycle, oxygen saturation, and blood flow by passing a beam of variable wavelength through the skin and measuring its reflection. A multichannel PPG wearable system was developed to include multiple nodes of pulse oximeters, each capable of using different wavelengths of light. The system used sensor fusion to perform feature extraction of relevant cardiovascular metrics across multiple pulse oximeters. The wearable system was applied to the plant of the foot for vascular assessment. Wearable PPG systems capable of sensor fusion show promise as continuous methods for the evaluation of wounds and diseases associated with abnormal blood flow.