Preliminary Evaluation of Piezoelectric Thin Film Sensors for Arterial and Venous Pulse Detection Using an Epidermal Neck Patch

Wearable technology for monitoring blood pulse waveforms in the cervical area is still in a developmental stage, primarily due to challenges in accurate sensor placement and proper signal detection on the neck. In this study, two commercial piezoelectric thin film sensors were compared to identify the most suitable one for integration into a biocompatible epidermal neck patch. Of the two, the one with the largest sensitive area was chosen to carry out measurements on a healthy male subject in two different body positions: supine and sitting. The ECG signal was also acquired as a temporal reference to distinguish physiological blood pulse waveforms from those containing artifacts. Signal processing techniques applied to recorded signals have demonstrated the ability of the piezoelectric thin film sensor to clearly distinguish between arterial and venous blood pulses. Moreover, thanks to the used non-disposable adhesive patch, these preliminary results pave the way for telemedicine applications focused on head and neck vascular health, enabling the screening of population and contributing to personalized healthcare and overall public wellbeing.