18-07-2011, 04:41 PM
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Abstract
Sensor devices integrating embedded processors, low power, low bandwidth radios, and a modest amount of storage have the potential to enhance emergency medical care.
Wearable vital sign sensors can track patient status and location, while simultaneously operating as active tags. We introduce CodeBlue, a wireless infrastructure intended for deployment in emergency medical care, integrating low power, wireless vital sign sensors, PDAs, and PC-class systems. CodeBlue will enhance first responders’ ability to assess patients on scene, ensure seamless transfer of data among caregivers, and facilitate efficient allocation of hospital resources.
Intended to scale to very dense networks with thousands of devices and extremely volatile network condition, this infrastructure will support reliable, ad hoc data delivery, a flexible naming and discovery scheme, and a decentralized security model.
This paper introduces our architecture and highlights research challenges being addressed by the CodeBlue development effort.
Introduction
Wireless sensor networks are an emerging technology consisting of small, low power, and low-cost devices that integrate limited computation, sensing, and radio communication capabilities.
This technology has the potential to have enormous impact on many aspects of emergency medical care.
Sensor device can be used to capture continuous, real-time vital signs from a large number of patients, relaying the data to handheld computers carried by emergency medical technicians (EMTs), physicians, and nurses.
Wearable sensor nodes can store patient data such as identification, history, and treatments, supplementing the use of back-end storage systems and paper charts.
In a mass casualty event (MCE), sensor networks can greatly improve the ability of first responders to triage and treat multiple patients equipped with wearable wireless monitors.
Such an approach has clear benefits for patient care bur raises challenges in terms of reliability and complexity.
While there have been many recent advances in biomedical sensors, low-power radio communications and embedded computation there does not yet exist a flexible, robust communication infrastructure to integrate these devices into an emergency care setting.
We are developing CodeBlue, an efficient wireless communication substrate for medical devices that addresses ad hoc network formation, naming and discovery, security and authentication, as well as filtration and aggregation of vital sign data.
CodeBlue is designed to operate across and wide range of devices. Including low-power “motes”, PDAs, and PC s, and addresses the special robustness and security requirements of medical care settings.