12-11-2012, 11:56 AM
Wireless Sensor Networks For Health Care
Wireless Sensor.ppt (Size: 2.63 MB / Downloads: 38)
The Low Cost Challenge
Sensor networks can have a real impact on health care applications only if these are low cost.
High tech products can be low cost only if these are produced in large numbers.
We need “Platform technologies” which are used over multiple products.
The Low power Challenge
Devices need to be portable.
Low power is a must.
Choice between
Raw data transmission: Low processor power, but high transmission power
Local data processing: can reduce transmission power due to data reduction – but now high processor power is required.
The reliability challenge
The need for reliability in health care applications is obvious.
Failure to detect some signal can be a “life and death” situation.
Laws governing health care and medical ethics do not favour fully automatic solutions. Human interpretation is required.
Human interface should be intuitive and effective.
Trade Offs
High reliability in communications requires higher power consumption and higher cost.
Better detection techniques require more sophisticated algorithms and more computation. This also leads to higher power and higher cost.
Using custom design techniques, low power high performance systems can be designed, but then these will not be low cost.
Acceptance by users
Health care sensors will often be used by people who are not experts in embedded systems or electronics.
User interface and product design are extremely important.
Users are often very conservative about their familiar interfaces acquired with older generation equipment.
Future Development
Merge analog chip design with a low power microcontroller/DSP to create a versatile Platform for WSN’s in general, but for medical applications in particular.
In discussions with TI
Offchip processing for power optimization – we have developed an ultraminiature ARM based system running Linux.
Applications being developed