PPG Sensor Heart Failure Risk Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining heart failure (HF) risk are complex and require physician attendance, leading to delayed awareness of significant HF risks.
Innovation Solution
A determination system using a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor to detect postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP) and disturbed force-frequency relation (FFR) without the need for ECGs, blood tests, or coronary angiography, allowing for non-invasive, physician-independent HF risk assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ECGs, blood tests and coronary angiography are used to determine HF risk, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential diagnostic information needed for HF risk assessment from complex medical procedures and isolates it into a simplified PPG-based measurement. By taking out only the critical hemodynamic parameters (pulse pressure, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index) that can be derived from PPG signals, the system achieves accurate HF risk determination without requiring full ECG, blood tests, or coronary angiography infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical and chemical diagnostic procedures (coronary angiography, blood draws, ECG electrodes) with optical measurement technology. The PPG sensor uses light absorption and scattering properties of blood to non-invasively measure hemodynamic parameters, substituting complex mechanical/chemical systems with optical fields and photodetectors.
2Measurement precision
If ECGs, blood tests and coronary angiography are used to determine HF risk, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the determination system to automatically process PPG signals and calculate HF risk parameters without requiring physician intervention for signal acquisition or basic analysis. The system self-calibrates using the subject's own physiological baseline and automatically identifies key waveform features (peaks, valleys, pulse pressure variations), making the procedure as simple as placing a finger on the sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential diagnostic parameters from the PPG signal that are sufficient for HF risk assessment, eliminating the need for complex multi-test protocols. By focusing on specific waveform characteristics (pulse pressure, dP/dt max, augmentation index) rather than comprehensive cardiac evaluation, the system achieves adequate measurement precision with much simpler operation.
3Measurement precision
If physician attendance is required for HF risk determination, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated algorithms that independently analyze PPG signals and determine HF risk without physician involvement. The system automatically detects waveform features, calculates hemodynamic parameters, compares them against reference ranges, and generates risk assessments, enabling frequent monitoring (even continuous) that would be impossible with physician-performed tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous or near-continuous HF risk monitoring by using a wearable or portable PPG sensor that can continuously capture pulse waveforms. This replaces the discrete, intermittent nature of physician-performed tests with ongoing measurement, allowing productivity increases from daily to hourly or minute-by-minute assessment frequency.
4Measurement precision
If invasive tests are used for HF risk determination, then measurement precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical procedures (needle punctures for blood draws, catheter insertion for angiography, electrode placement for ECG) with non-invasive optical measurement. The PPG sensor uses light to measure blood volume changes and hemodynamic parameters through intact skin, completely eliminating the physical trauma and discomfort associated with invasive testing while maintaining sufficient measurement precision for clinical decision-making.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simple and continuous monitoring of HF risk, improving early detection and reducing the reliance on invasive tests, thereby enhancing patient care.
Implementation Method 1
a photoplethysmogram (PPG) providing unit for providing a PPG of the subject
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a determination system for determining a heart failure risk for a subject (4). The determination system (1) comprises a photoplethysmogram providing unit for providing a photoplethysmogram of the subject and a heart failure risk determination unit for determining the heart failure risk based on the provided photoplethysmogram. A photoplethysmogram can be provided in an unobtrusive way by using a photoplethysmogram sensor without requiring a physician's attendance. In particular, it is not necessarily required to measure electrocardiograms, to carry out blood tests and to perform a coronary angiography for determining the heart failure risk. The heart failure risk can therefore be determined in a technically relatively simple way without requiring a physician's attendance.