Method and apparatus for monitoring peripheral circulation in human limbs by integrating temperature feedback with composite optical measurement techniques

An apparatus for monitoring peripheral circulation in human limbs by integrating temperature feedback with composite optical measurement techniques, comprising:

• four measuring devices, each including a clamping body having clamping force, the clamping body being configured for clamping extremities of a human body, the clamping body having a clamping bottom surface and an opposing clamping top surface, two electrocardiogram measuring electrodes being disposed on the clamping bottom surface and the clamping top surface, a light-emitting element, a reflective measuring element and a temperature sensor being disposed on the clamping bottom surface, a transmissive measuring element being disposed on the clamping top surface, the reflective measuring element being adjacent to the light-emitting element, the transmissive measuring element facing the light-emitting element;
• a heating unit, selectively increasing a human body temperature or an ambient temperature;
• a control unit, connected to the heating unit and the two electrocardiogram measuring electrodes, the light-emitting element, the reflective measuring element, the transmissive measuring element and the temperature sensor of each of the four measuring devices;
• wherein when in use, the four measuring devices clamp the extremities of the human body, respectively;
• the control unit detects the extremities of the human body through the temperature sensors of the four measuring devices to obtain an extremity temperature, when the extremity temperature of any one of the extremities of the human body falls within a predetermined range, the control unit activates the heating unit to perform heating;
• the control unit obtains an electrocardiogram signal through the electrocardiogram measuring electrodes of the measuring devices attached to the upper extremities;
• the light-emitting elements of the four measuring devices each continuously emit a light source, the control unit receives the light source through the four reflective measuring elements to obtain four reflective photoplethysmography signals and receives the light source through the four transmissive measuring elements to obtain four transmissive photoplethysmography signals;
• the control unit evaluates a vascular blockage condition from the heart to the extremities of the human body through peak time differences between the electrocardiogram signal and the four reflective photoplethysmography signals or through peak time differences between the electrocardiogram signal and the four transmissive photoplethysmography signals;
• and the control unit evaluates local blood vessel stiffness and elasticity conditions of each of the extremities of the human body through a difference between a corresponding one of the four reflective photoplethysmography signals and a corresponding one of the four transmissive photoplethysmography signals of each of the extremities of the human body.