Design of Ankle Brachial Index Measuring System for Detecting Peripheral Arterial Disease with Companion Mobile App

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an abnormal narrowing of arteries other than those that supply the heart or brain. PAD most commonly affects the legs, but other arteries may also be involved, such as those of the arms, neck, or kidneys. The greatest risk factor for PAD is cigarette smoking. Other risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and high blood cholesterol. Currently, PAD is typically diagnosed by finding an Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) or Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) less than 0.90, which is the systolic blood pressure at the ankle divided by the systolic blood pressure of the arm. However, manual ABI measure depends on the operator's skill, as lower leg arteries are hard to find. This study will aim to make an ABI measure device that can collect blood pressure simultaneously to make detecting PAD easier. The study presents the process of designing and improving a non-invasive automatic blood pressure monitor. We also integrate to measure the ABI in this term to detect the PAD. The system can measure blood pressure on multiple spots in the body to find the ABI and extend by creating a mobile app via WiFi connection for personal usage and long-term monitoring of one health. The design system includes four blood pressure monitoring channels to measure the ABI simultaneously and display results on mobile apps. The ABI measurement results of 20 volunteers with values from 9.0 to 1.2 are consistent with their health status, without a history of PAD. The imperfection in the method to find systolic pressure also can contribute to the error of the ABI result. However, despite these flaws, an oscillometric method is still a method of choice for most clinics for its convenience and safety. We recommended measuring multiple times for a better diagnosis.