Noncontact Extraction of Human Arterial Pulse with a Commercial Digital Color Video Camera

Noncontact Extraction Of Human Arterial Pulse With A Commercial Digital Color Video Camera Maria I. Davila, Ph.D. Department of Bioengineering University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Illinois (2012) Dissertation Chairperson: Dr. Stephen W. Porges The current study introduces and evaluates digital color video as a noncontact technology that can be applied to accurately extract human arterial pulse, respiration rate, and arterial pulse amplitude, during a variety of challenges. The first objective was to understand the physiological significance of the features of the pulse signal extracted from digital color video technology by researching the interaction of the key components in the system (subject physiology, camera, and incident light). Once the dynamic relationship among the components was understood, the second objective was to validate the derived measures against criterion signals. The third objective was to develop a reliable system capable of delivering physiologically validated signals via digital color video technology for offline and online analysis. The system was evaluated on 20 subjects during a variety of challenges under offline and online conditions. Measures of arterial pulse were derived from the novel signal with sufficient precision to quantify instantaneous heart rate (IHR), two components of heart rate variability (i.e., low frequency (LF) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia), breathing rates, and instantaneous pulse amplitude. The new noncontact measures were compared with criterion contact measures. The results show that the system is reliable to measure arterial pulse, respiration rate and pulse amplitude. A real time system capable of accurately extracting the new noncontact measures that will monitor heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiration was developed. Understanding the information obtained by the digital video camera and its relationship to physiological parameters may open research opportunities to explore applications of this new methodology in psychophysiology, medicine, and applied areas including human factors research.