pulsdetektor

A pulsdetektor is a device that detects the occurrence of pulses, which can refer to physiological pulses such as the heartbeat or to short electrical impulses in a signal. The output is typically a clean electrical pulse, a digital signal, or an indicator that a pulse was detected. Pulsdetektorer are used in medical monitors, wearables, laboratory instruments, and in electronic circuits for timing and gating tasks.

Physiological pulse detectors often rely on optical or mechanical methods. Photoplethysmography (PPG) uses light absorption changes due to blood volume fluctuations in the tissue, producing periodic signals correlated with the pulse. Doppler-based detectors use sound or motion produced by blood flow. Other approaches include arterial tonometry and seismocardiography. These devices are common in wristbands, finger probes, and hospital monitors.

In electronics, a pulsdetektor may refer to a circuit that identifies pulses in a waveform. Common implementations include amplifying the input, filtering noise, and using a comparator or Schmitt trigger to produce a sharply defined output pulse on each detected edge. Such detectors are used for clock recovery, pulse counting, and synchronization in digital systems, as well as in test equipment and communication receivers.

Performance depends on bandwidth, sensitivity, and noise rejection. Motion artifacts, ambient light, and electrical interference can affect accuracy in physiological detectors, while jitter and unequal threshold levels can affect electronic detectors. Calibration and proper sensor placement are important for reliable measurements.

See also: photoplethysmography, Doppler ultrasound, zero-crossing detector, edge detector, heart rate monitor.