Wearable Laser Doppler Flowmetry Sensor: A Feasibility Study with Smoker and Non-Smoker Volunteers

Abstract

Novel, non-invasive wearable laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) devices measure real-time blood circulation of the left middle fingertip and the topside of the wrist of the left hand. The LDF signals are simultaneously recorded for fingertip and wrist. The amplitude of blood flow signals and wavelet analysis of the signal are used for the analysis of blood perfusion parameters. The aim of this pilot study is to validate the accuracy of blood circulation measurements recorded by one such non-invasive wearable LDF device for healthy young non-smokers and smokers. This study reveals a higher level of blood perfusion in the non-smoker group compared to the smoker group and vice-versa for the variation of pulse frequency. This result can be useful to assess the sensitivity of the wearable LDF sensor in determining the effect of nicotine for smokers as compared to non-smokers and also the blood microcirculation in smokers with different pathologies.