System and method for cardiovascular health monitoring

A wearable system for measuring an arterial pulse waveform of a user, the system comprising:

• a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic transmitter for transmitting an RF signal having a frequency in the range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz towards a target body region on the user, said target body region being skin over an artery of the user;
• a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic receiver for receiving reflected RF signals from the target body region;
• an attachment mechanism that is adaptable to position the RF electromagnetic transmitter and the RF electromagnetic receiver proximal to the target body region and to maintain the position of the RF electromagnetic transmitter and the position of the RF electromagnetic receiver relative to the target body region;
• and
• a stand-off mechanism for positioning on the user an antenna for the RF electromagnetic transmitter and an antenna for the RF electromagnetic receiver such that a standoff distance from the user's skin is within a range of between 1 mm and 20 mm for each of the RF electromagnetic transmitter and the RF electromagnetic receiver, wherein the standoff mechanism is configured to substantially avoid perturbing the physiology of the target body region and enable the user's skin and tissues overlying the artery to move freely with respect to the RF electromagnetic transmitter and the RF electromagnetic receiver;
• wherein the transmitted RF signals and received RF signals are coupled into a processor to form a radar system, and
• wherein the processor comprises an operating mode in which the processor is configured to generate a blood pressure dataset based on the received RF signals, said blood pressure dataset containing data pertaining to the user's arterial pulse waveform.