We present a camera-based device capable of capturing two photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals at two different wavelengths simultaneously, in a remote noncontact manner. The system comprises a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor camera and dual wavelength array of light emitting diodes (760 and ). By alternately illuminating a region of tissue with each wavelength of light, and detecting the backscattered photons with the camera at a rate of , two multiplexed PPG wave forms are simultaneously captured. This process is the basis of pulse oximetry, and we describe how, with the inclusion of a calibration procedure, this system could be used as a noncontact pulse oximeter to measure arterial oxygen saturation remotely. Results from an experiment on ten subjects, exhibiting normal readings, that demonstrate the instrument’s ability to capture signals from a range of subjects under realistic lighting and environmental conditions are presented. We compare the signals captured by the noncontact system to a conventional PPG signal captured concurrently from a finger, and show by means of a J. Bland and D. Altman [Lancet 327, 307 (1986); Statistician 32, 307 (1983)] test, the noncontact device to be comparable to a contact device as a monitor of heart rate. We highlight some considerations that should be made when using camera-based “integrative” sampling methods and demonstrate through simulation, the suitability of the captured PPG signals for application of existing pulse oximetry calibration procedures.
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April 2007
Research Article|
April 23 2007
Noncontact simultaneous dual wavelength photoplethysmography: A further step toward noncontact pulse oximetry
Kenneth Humphreys;
Kenneth Humphreys
Department of Electronic Engineering,
National University of Ireland
, Maynooth, Maynooth Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Tomas Ward;
Tomas Ward
Department of Electronic Engineering,
National University of Ireland
, Maynooth, Maynooth Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Charles Markham
Charles Markham
Department of Computer Science,
National University of Ireland
, Maynooth, Maynooth Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 044304 (2007)
Article history
Received:
December 22 2006
Accepted:
March 19 2007
Citation
Kenneth Humphreys, Tomas Ward, Charles Markham; Noncontact simultaneous dual wavelength photoplethysmography: A further step toward noncontact pulse oximetry. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1 April 2007; 78 (4): 044304. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2724789
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