Devices and methods to assist in locating an artery and gaining percutaneous access thereto

A method for identifying an arterial location and facilitating percutaneous puncture to gain arterial access, said method comprising the following steps:

• a. providing a device for identifying arterial location, said device comprising:
• i. a tactile pressure sensor array comprising at least two lines of between 3 and 100 individual capacitive tactile pressure sensors configured to detect a pressure signal corresponding to a tactile pressure imparted thereon,
• ii. a needle guide comprising a first edge positioned in parallel with at least one line of said individual pressure sensors, said first edge comprising a plurality of spaced apart first notches,
• iii. an indicator of arterial location comprising a linear plurality of lights, each light aligned to be located next to a corresponding notch of said needle guide, and
• iv. a control unit operably connected with said tactile pressure sensor array and said indicator of arterial location,
• b. positioning said device with said tactile pressure array located near a presumed arterial location,
• c. obtaining pressure signals and extracting pulse waveform peaks from each of said plurality of individual capacitive tactile pressure sensors,
• d. identifying at least one individual capacitive tactile pressure sensor with a highest quality score above a predetermined minimum threshold, said quality score is determined from said pulse waveforms of said individual capacitive tactile pressure sensors using at least one of a pulse peak amplitude, pulse rate standard deviation,
• e. causing said control unit to select and energize the light closest to said at least one individual pressure sensor identified in step (d) to identify the first notch on said needle guide closest to said arterial location so as to facilitate said percutaneous needle puncture.