A Novel Method for Identifying Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

摘要

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a progressive disease having multiple etiologies and affecting millions of people worldwide. The current diagnostic workup frequently includes the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) as a first test in assessing patients. Although recognized as the "gold standard" for non-invasive testing for PAD, the ABI is time-consuming and awkward to deploy, subjective, and technique-dependent. A novel method and non-invasive prototype device for identifying patients with PAD is described, which uses electro-optical sensing and digital signal processing to rapidly derive a Pulsatility Index, used to quantitate the degree of PAD present. In an initial clinical test, the Pulsatility Index was compared to ABI measurements in both PAD and healthy subjects and showed sensitivity of 87.8% and specificity of 100%. Further development of this technology is warranted.