BIOMONITORING WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• Published in: Annual review of biomedical engineering Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 383 - 412
• Main Author: Budinger, Thomas F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Palo Alto, CA 94303-0139 Annual Reviews 01.01.2003; 4139 El Camino Way, P.O. Box 10139; USA
• Subjects: Accidental Falls; activity monitors; biomonitoring; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory - methods; blood pulse pressure; Computer Communication Networks; Electromyography - instrumentation; Electromyography - methods; Equipment Design; fall detection; gastrointestinal monitoring; Heart Rate - physiology; Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Monitoring, Ambulatory - methods; Movement - physiology; Oximetry - instrumentation; Oximetry - methods; personal tracking; physiologic monitoring; pulse oximetry; Radio Waves; Telecommunications - instrumentation; Telemetry - instrumentation; Telemetry - methods; ultra-wideband
• ISSN: 1523-9829; 1545-4274
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev.bioeng.5.040202.121653

Wireless biomonitoring, first used in human beings for fetal heart-rate monitoring more than 30 years ago, has now become a technology for remote sensing of patients' activity, blood pulse pressure, oxygen saturation, internal pressures, orthopedic device loading, and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Technical advances in miniaturization and wireless communications have enabled development of monitoring devices that can be made available for general use by individuals/patients and caregivers. New methods for short-range wireless communications not encumbered by radio spectrum restrictions (e.g., ultra-wideband) will enable applications of wireless monitoring without interference in ambulatory subjects, in home care, and in hospitals.