Feasibility of Laser Doppler Vibrometry as potential diagnostic tool for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms

The application of laser measurements in medical applications makes it possible to measure even very small vibrations without contacting the skin surface. In the present work we investigate the use of a scanning vibrometer to measure the mechanical wave of the abdominal wall caused by the heart beat and blood pressure pulse. A Laser Doppler Vibrometer, triggered by cardiac signals, is used to scan points on a grid positioned on the abdomen of human subjects. The proposed procedure is intended for detecting anomalies in the abdominal cavity such as aortic aneurysms. Here, we outline the technical setup used in our preliminary in vivo experiments and present some preliminary results. This feasibility study shows that the proposed measurement procedure allows for measuring the skin motion, that the skin motion measured is related to the heart activity, and that there are indication that the presence of an abdominal aortic aneurysm significantly modifies the relation between blood pressure pulsations and skin motion on the abdomen. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.