Zeitschrift für Bioingenieurwesen und biomedizinische Wissenschaft

A Portable Measurement System for the Superior-Inferior Axis of the Seismocardiogram

Abstract

Paukkunen MJT, Linnavuo MT and Sepponen RE

Seismocardiography (SCG) is the measurement of vibration of the precordium due to cardiac movement. SCG is considered to be of value when cost-effective cardiac and circulatory assessment is needed. SCG is normally recorded in the dorso-ventral axis from the sternum, while it has been shown that the superior-inferior axis also has consistent waveforms and might be usable in stroke volume evaluation. Thus, it seems that a system focusing on the superiorinferior axis could be very useful. In this article, a portable measurement system for the measurement of the superiorinferior axis of the SCG is described, and its functioning is demonstrated. Four subjects were measured in the sitting position to verify the system’s functioning. The measurements demonstrated the system’s capability to capture accurate cardiovascular data. Future work includes the validation of the measurement of the superior-inferior of the SCG signal against an established method such as echocardiography.