In the numerous studies conducted on cardiovascular disease, one of the many parameters studied is the shape of the pulse wave. At first, the analysis of the pulse wave involved its comparison to waveforms that were correlated with cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. As time passed, mathematical relationships were developed that quantified the correlation between pressure pulse or volume pulse waves and cardiovascular risk factors.  A couple of the indices that researchers have devised are easily used to indicate arterial stiffness and vascular tone. 

In this experiment, students will use a piezo-type pulse plethysmograph to record the pulse wave from their fingers. During the recording, the pulse waves are transformed to a waveform (pulse integral) that is consistent with the pressure pulse. Measurements taken from the pulse integral are expressed as indices that will help students understand the implications of pulse contour analysis. Students will also measure their systolic and diastolic blood pressures and compare them to the implications of the indices.
 

Download high resolution, press optimized PDF file. 

Download low resolution, screen optimized PDF file.

A person’s cardiac output, peripheral vascular resis­tance, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular parameters change hundreds of times in response to the activities and events taking place in the person’s daily schedule. A device like the BP-600 makes it easy to study the changes in blood pressure that take place over the course of an event or an activity. 

The BP-600 has two major components: a blood pressure cuff used to occlude the flow of blood in a subject’s brachial artery; and a pressure transducer used to monitor the pressures in the cuff that corre­spond to the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The output of the pressure transducer is a voltage that can be recorded by a data acquisition unit and converted into units of pressure (mmHg) by calibration.  Learn more about the BP-600 from this tech note.

Special Offer to iWorx Users  
For a limited time, iWorx is offering its customers a 50% discount on purchase of the BP-600 sensor used in the experiment featured above.
 

Order Today!

If you plan to use any of the experiments or manuals announced in recent editions of the iWorx Newsletter, you should obtain a copy of the settings group used to configure LabScribe for these experiments.  Once you have a copy of the settings group, just drop the group into the LabScribe folder on your hard drive, and use the Settings menu to load the group and a list of its experiments.
 

Download copies of the settings groups for the experiments and manuals announced since May 2004. 

In this month’s experiment, the shape of the pulse wave is analyzed.  Learn how the shape of volume pulse and pressure pulse waves can yield important information about cardiovascular risk factors through some simple measurements and calculations by examining our external Web resources.

On this page we have also accumulated a host of links to informative, external physiology Web sites and conveniently categorized them into major sub categories for easy reference.   

Each lab includes a topical overview, background, equipment set-up and lab procedure, quiz questions, and an interactive LabPlayer that displays recorded data from real experiments and allows students to manipulate and record data just as they would in a "wet" lab.  Data can be captured and logged in an online Lab Journal that can be later copied to a new document or sent via email.  Labs are further enhanced with animations, diagrams, and video clips. 

The virtual labs can be accessed on a CD or from the Web and are designed specifically for student self-learning environments.

See more information, view an online demonstration, and request a free 30-day evaluation copy.