THE BIOPHYSICAL PARAMETER MEASUREMENTS FROM PPG SIGNAL

Early investigation on blood circulation by Hertzman (1937) leads to the observation of vital body signs such as respiration rate, heart rate (HR), blood oxygenation and vascular assessment using photoplethysmographic (PPG) device. PPG is a noninvasive, painless optical technique used to monitor the pulsations linked to alteration in the blood volume. The PPG waveform is a summation of pulsatile and nonpulsatile components and contains useful information about the physiological systems. With the breakthrough in technology and development of powerful analytical tools, PPG devices are constantly being used in advanced medical equipments such as smart-watches and smart-wristbands for HR monitoring, pulse oximeters for measuring respiratory rate and noncontact PPG device for blood oxygen saturation measurement. This paper presents description on PPG and its characteristic waveform and working principle. It also includes brief explanation on nonlinear analysis of PPG signals and salient applications of PPG followed by its advantages and limitations.