Remote measurements of the cardiac pulse can provide comfortable physiological assessment without electrodes. However, attempts so far are non-automated, susceptible to motion artifacts and typically expensive. In this paper, we introduce a new methodology that overcomes these problems. This novel approach can be applied to color video recordings of the human face and is based on automatic face tracking along with blind source separation of the color channels into independent components. Using Bland-Altman and correlation analysis, we compared the cardiac pulse rate extracted from videos recorded by a basic webcam to an FDA-approved finger blood volume pulse (BVP) sensor and achieved high accuracy and correlation even in the presence of movement artifacts. Furthermore, we applied this technique to perform heart rate measurements from three participants simultaneously. This is the first demonstration of a low-cost accurate video-based method for contact-free heart rate measurements that is automated, motion-tolerant and capable of performing concomitant measurements on more than one person at a time.

Abstract-We present a simple, low-cost method for measuring multiple physiological parameters using a basic webcam. By applying independent component analysis on the color channels in video recordings, we extracted the blood volume pulse from the facial regions. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, and HR variability (HRV, an index for cardiac autonomic activity) were subsequently quantified and compared to corresponding measurements using Food and Drug Administration-approved sensors. High degrees of agreement were achieved between the measurements across all physiological parameters. This technology has significant potential for advancing personal health care and telemedicine.Index Terms-Autonomic nervous system, blood volume pulse (BVP), heart rate variability (HRV), independent component analysis (ICA), noncontact, photoplethysmography (PPG), remote sensing, respiration.

Diffusive transport of macromolecules and nanoparticles in charged fibrous media is of interest in many biological applications, including drug delivery and separation processes. Experimental findings have shown that diffusion can be significantly hindered by electrostatic interactions between the diffusing particle and charged components of the extracellular matrix. The implications, however, have not been analyzed rigorously. Here, we present a mathematical framework to study the effect of charge on the diffusive transport of macromolecules and nanoparticles in the extracellular matrix of biological tissues. The model takes into account steric, hydrodynamic, and electrostatic interactions. We show that when the fiber size is comparable to the Debye length, electrostatic forces between the fibers and the particles result in slowed diffusion. However, as the fiber diameter increases the repulsive forces become less important. Our results explain the experimental observations that neutral particles diffuse faster than charged particles. Taken together, we conclude that optimal particles for delivery to tumors should be initially cationic to target the tumor vessels and then change to neutral charge after exiting the blood vessels.