Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features

Cuffless continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for personal health management. However, its accuracy is challenged by the diversity and heterogeneity of physiological data sources. We propose a multi-source feature selection framework based on Markov blanket theory and the concept o...

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Main Authors: Yiliu Xu, Zhaoming He, Hao Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3254
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author Yiliu Xu
Zhaoming He
Hao Wang
author_facet Yiliu Xu
Zhaoming He
Hao Wang
author_sort Yiliu Xu
collection DOAJ
description Cuffless continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for personal health management. However, its accuracy is challenged by the diversity and heterogeneity of physiological data sources. We propose a multi-source feature selection framework based on Markov blanket theory and the concept of causal invariance. We extracted 218 BP-related photoplethysmography (PPG) features from three heterogeneous datasets (differing in subject population, acquisition devices, and methods) and constructed a causal feature set using the Multi-Dataset Stable Feature Selection via Ensemble Markov Blanket (MDSFS-EMB) algorithm. BP estimation was then performed using four machine learning models. The MDSFS-EMB algorithm integrated PPFS and HITON-MB, enabling adaptability to different data scales and distribution scenarios. It employed Gaussian Copula Mutual Information, which was robust to outliers and capable of modeling nonlinear relationships. To validate the effectiveness of the selected feature set, we conducted experiments using an independent external validation dataset and explored the impact of data segmentation strategies on model prediction outcomes. The results demonstrated that the MDSFS-EMB algorithm has advantages in feature selection efficiency, prediction accuracy, and generalization capability. This study innovatively explores the causal relationships between PPG features and BP across multiple data sources, providing a clinically applicable approach for cuffless BP estimation.
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spelling doaj-art-8c24691ba4dd45dfbc1af5ca3608e08b2025-08-20T02:32:52ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-05-012511325410.3390/s25113254Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal FeaturesYiliu Xu0Zhaoming He1Hao Wang2Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering & Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79411, USASchool of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaCuffless continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring is essential for personal health management. However, its accuracy is challenged by the diversity and heterogeneity of physiological data sources. We propose a multi-source feature selection framework based on Markov blanket theory and the concept of causal invariance. We extracted 218 BP-related photoplethysmography (PPG) features from three heterogeneous datasets (differing in subject population, acquisition devices, and methods) and constructed a causal feature set using the Multi-Dataset Stable Feature Selection via Ensemble Markov Blanket (MDSFS-EMB) algorithm. BP estimation was then performed using four machine learning models. The MDSFS-EMB algorithm integrated PPFS and HITON-MB, enabling adaptability to different data scales and distribution scenarios. It employed Gaussian Copula Mutual Information, which was robust to outliers and capable of modeling nonlinear relationships. To validate the effectiveness of the selected feature set, we conducted experiments using an independent external validation dataset and explored the impact of data segmentation strategies on model prediction outcomes. The results demonstrated that the MDSFS-EMB algorithm has advantages in feature selection efficiency, prediction accuracy, and generalization capability. This study innovatively explores the causal relationships between PPG features and BP across multiple data sources, providing a clinically applicable approach for cuffless BP estimation.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3254cuffless blood pressure estimationmulti-sourcefeature selectionphotoplethysmographybiomedical signals
spellingShingle Yiliu Xu
Zhaoming He
Hao Wang
Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
Sensors
cuffless blood pressure estimation
multi-source
feature selection
photoplethysmography
biomedical signals
title Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
title_full Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
title_fullStr Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
title_full_unstemmed Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
title_short Multi-Source Causal Invariance for Cuffless Blood Pressure Estimation Based on Photoplethysmography Signal Features
title_sort multi source causal invariance for cuffless blood pressure estimation based on photoplethysmography signal features
topic cuffless blood pressure estimation
multi-source
feature selection
photoplethysmography
biomedical signals
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/11/3254
work_keys_str_mv AT yiliuxu multisourcecausalinvarianceforcufflessbloodpressureestimationbasedonphotoplethysmographysignalfeatures
AT zhaominghe multisourcecausalinvarianceforcufflessbloodpressureestimationbasedonphotoplethysmographysignalfeatures
AT haowang multisourcecausalinvarianceforcufflessbloodpressureestimationbasedonphotoplethysmographysignalfeatures