Device and method for obtaining pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information of a subject

1. A device for obtaining pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information of a subject, comprising

an interface for receiving a set of image frames of a subject acquired by an imaging unit,

a motion detection unit for detecting motion of body parts of the subject,

an ROI selection unit for selecting at least two regions of interest at the body parts of the subject within said set of image frames,

a signal extraction unit for extracting at least two photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals from at least two selected regions of interest from said set of image frames,

a motion correction unit for controlling said ROI selection unit to select only regions of interest at substantially unmoved body parts and/or for controlling said signal extraction unit to extract one of the PPG signals only from regions of interest at substantially unmoved body parts or to correct the PPG signals extracted from regions of interest at moving body parts,

a distance determination unit for determining within a single one of the image frames the physical distance between the selected regions of interest, and

a calculation unit for:

determining at least one of pulse transit time and pulse wave velocity information from the PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest and the respective determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest; and

determining at least one body map for the body parts wherein the at least one body map indicates the determined pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information and/or arterial blood oxygen saturation at the body parts derived from the PPG signals.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein said signal extraction unit is configured to select a plurality of regions of interest from a plurality of different body parts of the subject,

wherein said signal extraction unit is configured to extract a plurality of PPG signals from said plurality of selected regions of interest, and

wherein said calculation unit is configured to determine pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information from the PPG signals extracted from a plurality of different regions of interest and the respective determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 ,

wherein said calculation unit is configured to determine a first body map indicating the determined pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information for the body parts.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a vital signs determination unit for determining vital sign information from the PPG signals extracted from one or more selected regions of interest.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said vital signs determination unit is configured to determine the arterial blood oxygen saturation at the body parts and determine a second body map indicating the determined arterial blood oxygen saturation for the body parts.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a respiration determination unit for determining respiratory information, in particular respiration rate and/or changes of respiration volume, of the subject from said set of image frames at selected regions of interest.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said ROI selection unit is configured to select regions of interest from which the strongest and/or most reliable PPG signals can be extracted.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said calculation unit is configured to determine phase shifts between PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest and to determine pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information from said phase shifts and the determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a body posture detection unit for detecting the body posture of the subject,

wherein said calculation unit is configured to take the body posture into account in the determination of the pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein said calculation unit is configured to monitor said pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information over time.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein said calculation unit is configured to determine changes in blood pressure from the determined pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information and/or to determine differences in pulse shapes between PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 ,

further comprising a camera for acquiring image frames of a subject.

13. A method of obtaining pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information of a subject, comprising

receiving a set of image frames of a subject acquired by an imaging unit,

detecting motion of body parts of the subject,

selecting at least two regions of interest at body parts of the subject within said set of image frames,

extracting at least two photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals from at least two selected regions of interest from said set of image frames,

controlling said ROI selection to select only regions of interest at substantially unmoved body parts and/or for controlling said signal extraction to extract a PPG signal only from regions of interest at substantially unmoved body parts or to correct PPG signals extracted from regions of interest at moving body parts,

determining a physical distance between selected regions of interest within an image frame, and

determining pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information from the PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest and the respective determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest by determining a body map indicating the determined pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information for the body parts.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for causing a computer to carry out the steps of the method as claimed in claim 13 when said computer program is carried out on the computer.

15. A device for obtaining at least one of pulse transit time and pulse wave velocity information of a subject, the device comprising:

an interface configured to receive a set of image frames of a subject acquired by a camera; and

at least one processor programmed to:

detect motion of body parts of the subject;

select at least two regions of interest at the body parts of the subject within said set of image frames;

extract at least two photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals from at least two selected regions of interest from said set of image frames at substantially unmoved body parts;

determine within one of the image frames the physical distance between the selected regions of interest;

determine at least one of pulse transit time and pulse wave velocity information from the PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest and the respective determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest;

determine vital sign information from the PPG signals extracted from one or more selected regions of interest including determining an arterial blood oxygen saturation at the body parts and determining a body map indicating the determined arterial blood oxygen saturation for the body parts.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine, from the selected regions of interest, at least one of:

arterial blood oxygen saturation;

respiration rate;

changes of respiration volume.

17. The device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to

select regions of interest from which the strongest and/or most reliable PPG signals can be extracted.

18. The device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to

determine phase shifts between PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest and to determine pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information from said phase shifts and the determined physical distance between the respective regions of interest.

19. The device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:

detect a body posture of the subject; and

determinate the pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information from the detected body posture.

20. The device as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to

determine changes in blood pressure from the determined pulse transit time and/or pulse wave velocity information; and

determine differences in pulse shapes between PPG signals extracted from different regions of interest.