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Fibre-grating sensors for the measurement of physiological pulsations

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2013 Phys. Scr. 2013 014022

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IOP PUBLISHING PHYSICA SCRIPTA
Phys. Scr. T157 (2013) 014022 (4pp) doi:10.1088/0031-8949/2013/T157/014022

Fibre-grating sensors for the

measurement of physiological pulsations
M D Petrović1 , A Daničić1 , V Atanasoski2 , S Radosavljević2 ,
V Prodanović2 , N Miljković2,3 , J Petrović1 , D Petrović4 , B Bojović1 ,
Lj Hadžievski1 , T Allsop5 , G Lloyd6 and D J Webb5
1
Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovica Alasa,
11001 Belgrade, Serbia
2
School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra,
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
3
Tecnalia Serbia Ltd, Vladetina, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
4
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
5
Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK
6
Moog Insensys Ltd, Ocean House, Whittle Avenue Segensworth West, Fareham PO15 5SX, UK
E-mail: marijap@vin.bg.ac.rs

Received 25 August 2012

Accepted for publication 12 December 2012
Published 15 November 2013
Online at stacks.iop.org/PhysScr/T157/014022

Abstract
Mechanical physiological pulsations are movements of a body surface incited by the
movements of muscles in organs inside the body. Here we demonstrate the use of long-period
grating sensors in the detection of cardio-vascular pulsations (CVP), in particular apex and
carotid pulsations. To calibrate the sensors, we use a mechanical tool designed specifically to
measure the sensor response to a localized perturbation at different grating curvatures as
working points. From the data we infer the amplitude of the CVP. Together with the
electrophysiological signals, the CVP signals obtained from the sensors can provide
significant information on heart function which is inaccessible to the electrocardiogram. The
low cost and easy handling of the fibre sensors increase their prospects to become the sensors
of choice for novel diagnostic devices.

PACS numbers: 42.81.Pa, 87.19.Hh, 87.19.uj

(Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)

1. Introduction one can measure displacement, pressure or flow, using

Mechanical physiological pulsations that can be registered
on the surface of the human body can be associated with
health and disease. In particular, pulsation time signals contain
information useful for clinical description and diagnosis
of heart, muscle and respiratory functions. Notwithstanding
the fact that direct invasive methods can give accurate
and reliable measurements [1, 2], there is a need for
non-invasive techniques that will be applied externally by
using transducers. Non-invasive techniques are preferred for
both simplicity of application and absence of interference with
other medical procedures [1, 2].
Cardio-vascular pulsations (CVP) can be felt and
measured from the precordium, deep venous system
and arteries [3]. To obtain a time signal of the CVP,
0031-8949/13/014022+04$33.00
different types of transducers such as inductance
displacement transducers [3–5], air systems coupled to
crystals [3, 5, 6], air systems coupled to strain gauges [3],
photocell transducers [3], piezoelectric transducers [4], etc.
The most commonly used technique for non-invasive
recording of arterial pressure pulse is applanation
tonometry, where the tonometer can be any instrument
that measures pressure or tension [2, 7]. Blood volume
pulse can also be recorded by using light-emitting
photodiodes—photoplethysmography [8], while the apex
cardiogram can be obtained by inductance displacement
transducers [3]. While the time shape of CVP can vary slightly
depending on the techniques used for its measurement, it
is essential that it contains characteristic signatures that are
associated with the heart functions [9]. However, the signal
1 © 2013 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Printed in the UK
Phys. Scr. T157 (2013) 014022
shape of the currently used sensors is heavily dependent on
the precise placement of the pulse pick-up probe and the force
applied thereby [2, 3]. Hence, these sensors must be applied
by experienced technicians to avoid signal distortion caused
by incorrect transducer or patient positioning.
In this paper we propose a new CVP sensing technique
based on long-period fibre grating (LPG) sensors. We show
that these bending and displacement sensors can be used
for monitoring and quantifying apex cardiogram and carotid
pulsations, and their signatures. Due to the linear shape of
the sensor (4–5 cm long), this technique allows for large
tolerances in sensor placement and thus largely disentangles
the signal quality from the operator. In combination
with existing complementary techniques—electrocardiogram
(ECG) and phonocardiogram (PCG)—the proposed sensors
can enable advanced diagnostics of several heart and vascular
illnesses [3, 9].
The paper is structured as follows. The working principle
of LPG sensors and the particulars of the interrogation scheme
used in this work are explained in section 2. Application
of these sensors to measuring carotid and apex pulsations
is described and the results of the measurements are given
in section 3. An independent calibration procedure used
to enable quantification of the pulsation amplitudes is also
described therein. Finally, in section 4 the advantages and
limitations of the LPG sensors with respect to the current
standards are reviewed and the prospects for their clinical use
are outlined.
2. Long-period fibre grating sensors
The LPG consists of a one-dimensional periodic perturbation
of the refractive index profile or the fibre geometry
along the fibre axis. It has a period of several tens to
several hundreds of micrometres which enables coupling
of light from the fundamental core mode to the resonant
co-propagating cladding modes of the fibre at discrete
wavelengths. Due to coupling to the lossy cladding modes,
the resulting transmission spectrum consists of a series of
attenuation bands [10]. There are three major characteristics
of attenuation bands: resonant wavelength, magnitude and
width. The resonant wavelength can be determined from the
phase-matching condition
ν eff
λ = n eff
co − n cl 3,


where n eff ν eff
co is the effective index of the core mode, n cl is the
effective index of the νth cladding mode, 3 is the period of
the grating and λ is the resonant wavelength. The magnitude
depends on the mode-coupling strength (and hence on the
index modulation of the grating and the overlap between
the resonant modes) and the grating length, while the width
depends also on the fibre and the grating dispersion.
All the above characteristics are sensitive to the
forces applied to the fibre (strain, load, bend) and local
environment (temperature, refractive index of surrounding
medium) [11]. However, the high cost of the optical spectrum
analysers needed for the full grating characterization makes
a straightforward application of such sensing schemes in
primary care unlikely. Here, we use a simple monochromatic
2
M D Petrović et al
a)
b) 2 3.5
0 3
−2 2.5
T[db]
t
−4 2
P
−6 1.5
−8 1
−10 0.5
0 2 4 6 8
−1
curvature [m ]
Figure 1. (a) Spectral sensitivity of LPG to bending, measured by
OSA. During bending the resonance experiences a red shift. (b)
Power sensitivity of LPG to bending at 1470.4 nm measured by
OSA (blue line) and a photodiode (green line). The OSA
measurements in (b) are obtained as the points of intersection of the
black line and grating spectra in (a). The observed difference
between the OSA and photodiode measurements is probably due to
the large room temperature variation during the experimental
campaign.
interrogation scheme that relies on the measurement of the
power transmitted through an LPG sensor, see figure 2(a).
Such a scheme requires tuning of the grating to resonance with
the laser. As the sensors are applied to patients with different
body curvatures and as the position of a grating spectral
resonance depends on fibre curvature, a series of gratings with
slightly different resonant wavelengths was fabricated to suit
body shapes of a wide range of patients.
Special care was taken to solve the problem of the
LPG cross-sensitivity to other parameters. Namely, a single
attenuation band may be simultaneously sensitive to several
parameters, which makes it impossible to distinguish the
contribution of a wanted measurand [11]. Here, the grating
cross-sensitivity to the refractive index has been avoided
by using the progressive three-layered fibre whose second
cladding served as an isolator [12], while the effects of rapid
temperature fluctuations have been avoided by encapsulating
the sensor in a low-temperature curing silicone rubber, as
described in [13].
3. CVP measurements
We used LPGs to measure small displacements and pressures
induced by cardiac muscle function and arterial blood flow.
We assume that the apex pulsations can be approximated as
small changes in the chest curvature. On the other hand, the
neck pulsations caused by the blood flow through the carotid
artery act as local pressures. It is interesting to note that this is,
Phys. Scr. T157 (2013) 014022 M D Petrović et al

(a) 1.55

1.54

1.53

Pt [a. u.]
1.52

1.51
(b)
1.5

6.8 7 7.2 7.4 7.6

time [s]

Figure 3. Apex cardiogram measured with LPG sensors.

2.3

2.2 1.8 2

1.6

t
δP
t
1

P
2.1
1.4

2 1.2 0
5.5 6 0 1 2
time [s] δ [mm]
1.9
Pt [a. u.]

1.8
Figure 2. (a) Sensing scheme. Light from a diode laser stabilized at
1.7
1470.4 nm is coupled into a fibre with an LPG sensor. The
transmitted power signal is measured by a photodiode and the thus 1.6
obtained electronic signal is digitalized for further processing. (b) 1.5
Sensor calibration gauge.
1.4

to the best of our knowledge, the first study of the response of 1.3

a fibre grating to a local disturbance (a disturbance confined 0 5 10 15

to several grating periods). In order to study this response
in detail, we emulate the pulsations during the independent
calibration.
3.1. Calibration to curvature and displacement
Grating characterization and sensor calibration were first
performed using a broadband light source and an optical
spectrum analyser (OSA), see figure 1(a). In addition, a new
gauge was designed and built especially for sensor calibration
purposes, see figure 2(b). The gauge is capable of measuring
grating response to bending and its response to the transversal
mechanical disturbance at a preset curvature of the fibre. The
disturbance is effected by a teflon rod protruding through
a hole in the sensor-supporting plate. Precise control of its
displacement was realized by a micrometre translation stage.
First we measured the grating response to bending
(figure 1(b)) and then its response to small displacements at
the working point determined by curvature (inset in figure 4).
The sensitivity to small displacements, calculated as the slope
of the calibration curve, was 1 mm−1 . The resolution of the
measurement is limited to 10 µm by the instability of the laser
diode power of around 1%.
When the sensor was fixed to the metal plate by
a tape, its response changed. As the tape restricted the
upward movement of the sensor, the rod acted as a
displacement-to-pressure transducer. The calibration curve
generated as a response of the grating to the pressure was not
monotonic. To avoid such a response during the medical trials,
time [s]
Figure 4. Carotid pulsations. Left inset: a single pulse with the
characteristic incisura feature circled. Right inset: calibration of the
sensor to small displacements.
sensors were attached by a loose bandage that did not induce
additional stress in the grating.
3.2. Measurement of apex pulsations
In the apex recording realized here, the main goal was to
measure curvature changes around a preset curvature in time.
The measurements were performed on five healthy subjects.
In order to find the best sensor position, we placed the sensor
at various locations on both the left and right sides of the
torso. During the recording the subjects were asked not to
breathe for a short time in order to avoid concurrence with
the breathing pulsations. The LPGs could capture the apex
pulsation signals at any position along the torso, but the signal
strength varied significantly. A typical measured response is
shown in figure 3. These signals agree well with the signals
obtained by crystal microphones [9] and contain all the signal
signatures needed for diagnostic purposes [3, 9].
3.3. Measurement of carotid artery pulsations
In this application we used LPG sensors to measure
the blood flow through the carotid artery. A sensor was
placed on the neck where the pulsation of this artery is

3
Phys. Scr. T157 (2013) 014022
pronounced, transversally to the carotid. The measurements
were performed on five healthy subjects asked not to breathe
for a short time. A typical measured pulsation signal along
with a zoom-in on one pulsation is shown in figure 4. It
agrees well with the signals reported in the literature [3, 14].
In addition, using the measured sensitivity we estimate the
amplitude of the neck pulsation caused by the carotid blood
flow to be about 0.5 mm.
When the above measurements were repeated by different
operators, the signal amplitude varied slightly but all the
characteristic features of the signals were preserved.
4. Conclusion
CVP carry useful diagnostic information that has not been
fully exploited in modern diagnostics of heart disease. Hence,
there is a strong incentive to develop more advanced and
operator-independent tools for their recording and analysis.
In this paper we presented a novel fibre-grating CVP sensing
scheme that is inexpensive, portable and only marginally
operator dependent. We showed that these sensors have a
linear response to movements of up to 2 mm, a measurement
resolution of 10 µm and a fast response, which makes them
suitable for measuring carotid and apex pulsations. We also
showed how one can eliminate sensors’ cross-sensitivity
to environmental parameters, characteristic of long-period
gratings. As it was noticed that the signal depends on the
way in which the sensor is attached to the body (tape, sticker
or just a bandage), immediate future work will be directed
towards finding an optimal measurement configuration. The
technique will be further advanced by improving the data
analyses to enable more comfortable measurements that will
allow for normal breathing during data acquisition. Finally,
M D Petrović et al
the long-term goal is to exploit the sensors in extending the
diagnostic range of standard cardio-diagnostic devices.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Ministry of Education
and Science, Republic of Serbia (Project III45010). NM
acknowledges support from the Ministry of Education and
Science, Republic of Serbia (Project OS175016) and JP
support from L’OREAL-UNESCO through the Women in
Science National Fellowship in Serbia.
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