The DOI matches its Crossref record; 56 of the 56 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Skin photoplethysmography — a review
Abstract
The photoplethysmograph has been used for over 50 years but there are still misconceptions in how and what is the information obtained. A photoplethysmograph signal from any site on the skin can be separated into an oscillating (a.c.) and a steady-state (d.c.) component, their amplitudes dependent upon the structure and flow in the vascular bed. Many simple applications are available: pulse counters, using the a.c. component, skin colour and haemoglobin saturation meters, using the d.c. component. The d.c. component of the photoplethysmograph signal is a function of the blood flux beneath the device. A good emitter for use in a photoplethysmograph of skin blood flow is one in the frequency range 600-700 nm and the best signal for a.c. analysis is obtained from the finger pulp. The frequency range of the electronic circuitry should be from 0.01 to 15 Hz, then all the information in the signal can be extracted about the autonomic nervous system control of the cardiovascular system, particularly between 0.01 and 2 Hz. Comparative studies may be drawn between similar skin sites on a subject or between subjects if the afferent inputs to the brain stem are controlled or driven at a known frequency. These afferents, inputs, will modulate the efferents, outputs, which generate variations in the a.c. component of the detected photoplethysmograph signal.
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“Without this type of real-time, in-sensor processing (IR_Non in Fig. 6D), robust operation would be impossible: PPG signals would quickly drift outside of the narrow operating range of the ADC as a result of patient-to-patient variations in skin pigmentation and unavoidable, time-dependent fluctuations in optical scattering that result from micromotions relative to underlying blood vessels and sub”
From Binodal, wireless epidermal electronic systems with in-sensor analytics for neonatal intensive care (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
Citations
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–328 of 328
Chen, Y. (2012) · doi:10.32657/10356/50792
“These optical processes have been related to PPG measurements in several studies and investigations [159-170].”
Optical non-invasive blood pressure : PPG waveform-based estimation and verification
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Principle and Equipment of Resonance LIL Photobiostimulation
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OSTEOPOROSIS, CIRCULATION, AND FLUID DYNAMICS
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“The complex interplay between light and biological tissue includes some optical processes such as scattering, absorption, reflection, transmission and fluorescence [2].”
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Predict Blood Pressure by Photoplethysmogram with the Fluid-Structure Interaction Modeling
Chen, J. C. J., Hao, W., Sun, P., & Zhang, L. Z. L. (2022) · Communications in Computational Physics · doi:10.4208/cicp.oa-2021-0135
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Recommendation in Measuring Digital Volume Pulse for Mobile Application (Preprint)Preprint
Seok, H. S., & Shin, H. (2020) · doi:10.2196/preprints.24159
Rusterholz, F., Rodriguez, A., Ortiz, V., & Peacock, C. A. (2023) · Research Directs in Health Sciences · doi:10.53520/rdhs2023.10475
Imaging photoplethysmography for assessing stimulus-evoked hemodynamics in mouse barrel cortex
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“The photoplethysmogram (PPG), which is acquired using this method, is a periodic signal that is modulated by heart muscle activity [2].”
MethodMisra, G., Wegerif, S., Fairlie, L., Kapoor, M., Fok, J., Salt, G., Halbert, J., Maconochie, I. K., & Mullen, N. (2024) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/58334
“…measurement of VS. Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical measurement technique that records changes in the light reflected from the skin surface due to volumetric changes in the facial blood vessels; small variations in perfusion provide valuable information about the cardiovascular system [9].”
Heart Rate Estimation From Photoplethysmography Signals Using Fast Fourier Transform
Mohan, N., Awwad, F. R., Bastaki, N., & Atef, M. (2024) · International Conference on Signal Processing and Information Security (ICSPIS) · doi:10.1109/icspis63676.2024.10812645
Development of a Software Algorithm for Processing and Analysis of Video Photoplethysmogram Signals
Derevesnikova, D., Ziganuriva, D., Luzhnov, P. V., Guryleva, A. V., & Machikhin, A. S. (2025) · Systems and Technologies of the Digital HealthCare (STDH) · doi:10.1109/stdh66836.2025.11227476
“Firstly, these are due to physiological characteristics – the presence of second-and third-order waves reflecting respiratory activity and fluctuations in vascular tone; secondly, limitations and artifacts of the recording equipment [1,7].”
Wrist Photoplethysmography Pulse Waves: Morphological Classes and Physiological Influences
Dendorfer, A., & Charlton, P. H. (2025) · International Electronic Conference on Sensors and Applications (ECSA) · doi:10.3390/ecsa-12-26556
“The shape of the PPG pulse wave is influenced by both the heart and the blood vessels, making it a rich source of information on cardiovascular physiology [1].”
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Research on Risk Assessment of Arterial Stiffness by Using Photoplethysmogram in Young people
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“The physical principle of the method consists of probing the tissue with optical radiation (usually incoherent) and recording the signal scattered from the tissue, which consists of a slowly changing component (DC), onto which a pulsating component (AC) is superimposed [2].”
Metadata
- Authors
- Kamal, A. A. R., Harness, J. B., Irving, G., & Mearns, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Bradford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Harness, J.B.
- Venue
- Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1989-04
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 257-269
- ISSN
- 0169-2607 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2054173774
- Cited by
- 328
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 0.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention
- Keywords
- photoplethysmography, skin blood flow, pulse counting, hemoglobin oxygen saturation, finger pulp, vascular bed
- MeSH terms
- Equipment Design, Humans, Monitoring, Physiologic, Plethysmography, Regional Blood Flow, Skin
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