Capturing the pulse: a state-of-the-art review on camera-based jugular vein assessment

Abstract

Heart failure is associated with a rehospitalisation rate of up to 50% within six months. Elevated central venous pressure may serve as an early warning sign. While invasive procedures are used to measure central venous pressure for guiding treatment in hospital, this becomes impractical upon discharge. A non-invasive estimation technique exists, where the clinician visually inspects the pulsation of the jugular veins in the neck, but it is less reliable due to human limitations. Video and signal processing technologies may offer a high-fidelity alternative. This state-of-the-art review analyses existing literature on camera-based methods for jugular vein assessment. We summarize key design considerations and suggest avenues for future research. Our review highlights the neck as a rich imaging target beyond the jugular veins, capturing comprehensive cardiac signals, and outlines factors affecting signal quality and measurement accuracy. Addressing an often quoted limitation in the field, we also propose minimum reporting standards for future studies.

Fig. 1.

PRISMA Systematic Review Flowchart

Fig. 2.

Overview of Study Design. The design of a study consists of both the system itself, and the environment where it is applied.

Fig. 3.

An illustration of the setup described Table 5. The setting of the study was in the emergency department of the hospital in Argentina. The participant is in a seated position, facing forward. The camera on the phone is situated at a distance of 30 cm from the neck, at an angle of 45°from the front plane of the person. The flash of the light from the phone is used to illuminate the neck. Adapted from vecteezy.com