Quantifiying The Influence Of Moving Artifact

On The Determination of Pulse Rate Variability (PRV)

From the Pulse Oximetry (SpO2) Signal Measurements

Sumber1, Aulia Nasution2

Postgraduate Program in Engineering Physics, FTI - ITS

Abstract
Determination of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) derived from the Pulse Rate
Variability (PRV) of the SpO2 signals measurement can be used to monitor
cardiac activity. One disadvantage of the use of SpO 2 probe, that is placed
on the finger, is due to existence unavoidable movement artifacts. These
artifacts tend to reduce the accuracy of PRV determination. In order to
quantify the influence of moving artifacts on the measured SpO 2 signals, the
Short-time Fourier Transform (STFT) method is used. This method is
regarded to be suitable since the artifacts only occurs momentarily, i.e. as
the finger moves. Three modes of finger movements were simulated, in
addition to the still finger as a control, i.e. in direction of up-down, left-right,
and rotating one. Contributing spectra from each of these movements will
be recognized, and suitable filtering schemes are then being applied to
suppress the influence of these moving artifacts. Parallelly measurements
using three-leads ECG were also done to determine the HRV for each of the
finger movements condition. Results show that by implementing filtering
scheme to each mode of finger movements may reduce the error rate in
HRV determination from SpO2 measurements, i.e. from 6 - 25 % (without
filtering) to be only 0 - 1.56 %. Meanwhile measurements both HRV and PRV
under still finger show only 0-3.33 % difference for each of data groups.

HRV

(from left to right) SpO2 measurement configuration,

difference in spectral absorption characteristics [4], and the
typical schematic of measured signals [5]
HRV (Heart Rate Variability) are used to monitor cardiac
activity, which is usually measured from RR intervals
obtained with an electrocardiogram (ECG), refers to the beatto-beat alterations in heart rate

The Methods
Four groups of
volunteers (each of with
5 persons) are
contributed to the
measurements, i.e. two
groups of male
volunteers and two
groups of female
volunteers. Both of these
gender-based groups are
still divided under
classification of age

Figure 2. conceptual framework used in this study

Results

Fig. 3 Mean Power Frequency: comparison between

unfiltered (link) and filtered spectra (right)

The signature frequency for the sill condition (control) is ca.

4.563 Hz, while the simulated movements will contribute to
greater frequencies

Fig. 4 HRV and the PRV values under different

activities
Results obtained in Fig 4 above confirmed that filtering
scheme will make the calculated PRV values more closer
to the ones of HRV that derived from the ECG
measurements

Table 1: Percent error in HRV determination

from the PRV values
Group
#
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4

Measurement
Activity
A
(still)

HRV
(filtered)

PRV
(unfiltered)

PRV
(unfiltered)

1.67
1.45
0
1.11
1.28
0
0
1
0
2
1.67
0
1.37
0
0
1.15

0
1.45
0
2.22
20.52
15.63
18.86
18
22.86
22
25
18.29
6.85
22.45
6.98
6.90

0
1.45
0
3.33
1.28
1.56
0
1
0
2
0
0
1.37
0
1.16
1.15

Summary
In summary it can be concluded that the finger
movements can contribute artefacts to the measured
signals, that will make the extraction of PRV values
inaccurate. The filtering scheme may suppress the
artefacts and reduced significantly the error in the
HRV determination from the SpO2 measurements, i.e.
from 6 - 25 % (without filtering) to be only 0 - 1.56 %
with correct filtering scheme.

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[2]

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