Abstract
For more than a century, it has been known that the body recoils each time the heart ejects blood into the arteries. These subtle cardiogenic body movements have been measured with increasingly convenient ballistocardiography (BCG) instruments over the years. A typical BCG measurement shows several waves, most notably the “I”, “J”, and “K” waves. However, the mechanism for the genesis of these waves has remained elusive. We formulated a simple mathematical model of the BCG waveform. We showed that the model could predict the BCG waves as well as physiologic timings and amplitudes of the major waves. The validated model reveals that the principal mechanism for the genesis of the BCG waves is blood pressure gradients in the ascending and descending aorta. This new mechanistic insight may be exploited to allow BCG to realize its potential for unobtrusive monitoring and diagnosis of cardiovascular health and disease.
Highlights
It has long been known that the body moves with each heartbeat[1]
We mathematically modeled the BCG waveform as an instantaneous force in the head-to-foot direction (FBCG(t)) by analyzing the equilibrium of forces exerted on the blood in the main artery of the body, the aorta
The time interval between the beginning of the I wave and peak of the J wave may represent the aortic pulse transit time, which is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular risk[15]
Summary
It has long been known that the body moves with each heartbeat[1]. These subtle movements represent the body’s recoil to cardiac expulsion of blood into the arteries. The model reveals the primary mechanism of the BCG waves as well as their meaning in terms of cardiovascular parameters of clinical significance. This discovery reveals the potential of BCG for unobtrusive monitoring and diagnosis of cardiovascular health and disease
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