Thermal Measurement of Arterial Pulse using Heat Flux Sensors

In this paper, the novel concept of using heat flux sensors (HFS) to measure arterial pulse on the skin surface is validated. The heat flux (HF) signal is compared with simultaneously measured electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals during both rest and initial recovery from exercise. It is found that the waveform measured with the HF sensor above the radial artery has similar shape to PPG and demonstrates a clear temporal alignment between the HF pulse waves and both the PPG and ECG signals. Further, it is shown that HF measurement can be used to consistently track the arterial pulse at varying skin-to-ambient temperature gradients.