Category : Sensors, probes, transducers > Datacommunication sensors

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Necessary sensors are integrated wirelessly in networks and allow with that also a monitoring of the most important functions of the body, even in the domestic surrounding. Usually a communication network contains three components: the body-area-network, the personal-area-network and the wide-area-network. In the easiest case, the body-area-network consists of only one intra-corporal- or extra-corporal sensor such as a cardiac pacemaker or an ECG-sensor. In the near future, sensors that be used, will be selected according to the specific medical condition by the doctor and establish a real communication-network close to the body. In order that the several components of the network fit together effortlessly, the interfaces and data formats need to be harmonised. Therefore, the necessary guidelines and standards are developed in the frame of the infrastructure project „IMEX“. The recorded measured values are transmitted to the gateway in the domestic surrounding, either continuously or discontinuously, as a data packet which had been temporary saved in the body-area-network. The personal-area-network includes with that i.e. the domicile of the patient. The connexion to conventional data networks, such as telephone or mobile phone, occurs via the gateway and the data arrive at a telemedical centre, which takes on the role of forwarding the data to a doctor or a clinic and also partially the analysis and diagnosis.

The Fraunhofer-Institute for Photonic Microsystems (Fraunhofer-IPMS) has its main focus on the development of wireless sensors, which may be integrated in a body-area-network. Due to modern flawless data-compression-processes, the close-to-sensor signal processing, integrated in those systems, can save a huge amount of data, to an extent of over several days.
Additionally, with the application of signal-evaluation-algorithms, it is possible to activate further sensors on request. That gives the opportunity of an energy saving operation beyond long periods. One of the first examples of such a sensor is the 3-channel-ECG-foil, which had been developed at the Fraunhofer-IPMS by co-operation with the TU Dresden. The ECG-foil consists of a re-useable electronic-foil and an electrode-foil with 5 electrodes for single usage. The replacement of the electrode-foil is very comfortable for the patient, since both foils are only joined by pressure contacts. Furthermore, the whole system weighs only 68 grams. The data exchange with the gateway happens through a bluetooth-interface, which is integrated in the foil. The re-chargeable polyflex-battery currently permits a continuous operation for 2 days. In addition, the foil includes a huge flash-memory and a powerful 16-bit-controller and besides the controlling tasks it takes over the data compression.

The bluetooth-interface allows the connexion in the form of a PicoNet of up to seven additional sensors. At the present time it is worked on analogues sensors at the Fraunhofer-IPMS.

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