Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2709
Date of Award
12-2023
Degree Name
MS in Biomedical Engineering
Department/Program
Biomedical Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Advisor
Michael D Whitt
Advisor Department
Biomedical Engineering
Advisor College
College of Engineering
Abstract
A Calibrated Cuff Plethysmography device was built, tested for verification, and used to experiment on human subjects to measure the cardiovascular response of consuming a beet supplement, specifically looking at arterial compliance and pressure-area curves. Each subject was tested four times. A baseline was measured under normal conditions and after five-minute hyperemia conditions. 10 subjects were given 6 ounces of water mixed with either purple Kool-Aid (control), a SuperBeets supplement, or a SuperBeets Sport supplement and after 45 minutes, measurements were taken undergoing normal and hyperemia conditions once more. The verification testing demonstrated the calibration of the device was effectively able to measure volume changes using a stationary metal pipe and IV bag, showing an average percent error of 3.11%. Data collected during the patient experiment resulted in the expected arterial compliance curves as well as pressure-area curves, when measurements were taken properly, and the subject didn’t move. These tests were able to validate the use of the device for measuring arterial compliance and seeing distinctions between normal and hyperemic conditions. However, many issues were presented and are thoroughly addressed in this paper for future research using the same device.