Arterial Wave Separation Analysis and Reflection Wave Transit Time Estimation using a Double Rayleigh Flow Rate Model

Arterial pulse wave separation analysis (WSA) requires simultaneously measured pressure and flow rate waveform from the same arterial site. Modelling approaches to flow rate waveforms offers a methodological and instrumentational advantage. However, current techniques are limited to the aortic site. For non-aortic sites such as carotid artery, modelling methods that were developed for aortic sites are not likely to capture the intrinsic differences in the carotid flow rate. In this work, a double-Rayleigh flow rate model for the carotid artery is developed to separate the forward and backward pressure waves using WSA (DRMWSA). The model parameters are optimally found based on characteristic features - obtained from the pressure waveform. The DRMWSA was validated using a database of 4374 virtual (healthy) subjects, and its performance was compared with actual flow rate based WSA (REFWSA) at the carotid artery. An RMSE < 2 mmHg were obtained for forward and backward pressure waveforms. The reflection quantification indices (.PF,.PB), (RM, RI) obtained from DRMWSA demonstrated strong and statistically significant correlation (r > 0.96, p < 0.001) and (r > 0.80, p < 0.001) respectively, with insignificant bias (p > 0.05), upon comparing with counterparts in REFWSA. A moderate correlation (r = 0.64, p < 0.001) was obtained for reflection wave transit time between both methods. The proposed method minimises the measurements required for WSA and has the potential to widen the vascular screening procedures incorporating carotid pulse wave dynamics.