Device and method for non-invasive assessment of maximum arterial compliance

A method for determining an arterial compliance of a subject, comprising the steps of:

• attaching an inflatable cuff to a body part of the subject;
• inflating the cuff to a first pressure above systolic pressure;
• deflating the cuff to a second pressure below diastolic pressure;
• sensing a pressure signal that is indicative of a pressure within the cuff while the cuff is being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• sensing a second signal that is responsive to expansions and contractions of the cuff caused by a pulsating blood flow of the subject while the cuff is deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• determining a pulse pressure (ΔP) of the subject, based on the pressure signal;
• determining, based on the second signal, an arterial volume change (ΔVart) of an artery of the subject for each of a plurality of cardiac cycles recorded while the cuff is being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• and
• determining the arterial compliance of the subject
• either by determining a maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) of the arterial volume changes (ΔVart) determined for each of the plurality of cardiac cycles and dividing the maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) by the pulse pressure (ΔP),
• or by dividing each of the determined arterial volume changes (ΔVart) of the plurality of cardiac cycles by the pulse pressure (ΔP) to receive a plurality of arterial compliance values, and then determining a maximum of the plurality of arterial compliance values.

A method for determining an arterial compliance of a subject, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a pressure signal that is indicative of a pressure within a cuff attached to a body part the subject while the cuff is being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• receiving a second signal that is responsive to expansions and contractions of the cuff caused by a pulsating blood flow of the subject while the cuff is deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• determining a pulse pressure (ΔP) of the subject, based on the pressure signal;
• determining, based on the second signal, an arterial volume change (ΔVart) of an artery of the subject for each of a plurality of cardiac cycles recorded while the cuff is being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• and
• determining the arterial compliance of the subject either by
• determining a maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) of the arterial volume changes (ΔVart) determined for each of the plurality of cardiac cycles and dividing the maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) by the pulse pressure (ΔP),
• or by dividing each of the determined arterial volume changes (ΔVart) of the plurality of cardiac cycles by the pulse pressure (ΔP) to receive a plurality of arterial compliance values, and then determining a maximum of the plurality of arterial compliance values.

A device for determining an arterial compliance of a subject, comprising a processing unit that is configured:

• to evaluate at least parts of a pressure signal and a second signal that are recorded while a cuff is attached to the body part of the subject and being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure,
• to determine based on said part of the pressure signal a pulse pressure (ΔP) of the subject,
• to determine based on said part of the second signal an arterial volume change (ΔVart) of the artery of the subject for each of a plurality of cardiac cycles recorded while the cuff is being deflated from above systolic pressure to below diastolic pressure;
• and
• to determine the arterial compliance (C) of the subject either by:
• determining a maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) of the arterial volume changes (ΔVart) determined for each of the plurality of cardiac cycles and dividing the maximum arterial volume change (ΔVart max) by the pulse pressure (ΔP), or
• dividing each of the determined arterial volume changes (ΔVart) of the plurality of cardiac cycles by the pulse pressure (ΔP) to receive a plurality of arterial compliance values, and then determining a maximum of the plurality of arterial compliance values.