Non-Invasive Measure of Stenosis Severity Through Spectral Analysis

A preliminary study on the effect of stenosis severity in a restricted flow is performed through the spectral analysis of sound signals. A model pulsatile flow that uses differing area reductions through an opening was employed, where contact microphones secured outside of the reduction measured the sound intensity in the flow. A spectral analysis shows the narrowing results in increased magnitude of frequencies in the range of 15 to 170 Hz, with different narrowing cases resulting in different peak frequencies. Low frequency content up to 10 Hz remains approximately unchanged. This simplistic approach of signal processing forms a basis for enhanced understanding and diagnosis of the severity of narrowing in an internal flow, and encourages future research into more complicated bispectral methods of analysis. The results show a clear difference between "regular" turbulence present in an internal flow and "enhanced" turbulence due to a stenosis or similar restriction in the flow.