Abstract
This report concentrates on recent contributions of wireless communications in
health care and fitness to enhance the quality of service together with the
significant cost reduction.
The health care cost is rising each year, and in the U.S. reached around
16%-17% of the GDP with the trend to add at least one percent each year. Wide
utilization of wireless communications, as our analysis showed, can reduce the
health care cost by billions of dollars on an annual basis. Much of that
savings is derived by reducing hospitalizations and extending independent
living for seniors.
Ambient Intelligence is a vision where environment becomes smart, friendly,
context-aware and responsive to any type of human needs. In such a world,
computing and networking technology coexist with people in a ubiquitous,
friendly and pervasive way. Numerous miniature and interconnected smart
devices create a new intelligence and interact with each other seamlessly. For
health care, this translates into proliferation of remote monitoring and
telemedicine.
The report addresses recent advances in wireless technologies medical/fitness
applications. Particular, it analyzes the following:
- Evolving IEEE 802.15.6 standard-Wireless Body Access Networks (WBANs)
- Bluetooth technology and its Medical Profile
- ZigBee technology and its Medical Profile
- Continua Health Care Alliance activities and wireless communications.
All these technologies can satisfy, in various degrees, major requirements
that the health care industry is asking for: a combination of extremely low
power consumption of communicating nodes and very low power signals together
with high reliability of communications channels and quality of service (QoS).
1. Recent technological progress in low-power integrated circuits,
wireless communications and physiological sensors promote the development of
tiny, lightweight, ultra-low-power monitoring devices that can be used in a
wide spectrum of applications. A body-centric network, so-called WBAN-Wireless
Body Area Network, can be formed by integrating these devices on a human body
(or its proximity). WBAN, with sensors consuming extremely low power, is used
to monitor patients in critical conditions inside hospital. Outside the
hospital, the network can transmit patients' vital signs to their physicians
over the Internet (or private networks) in real time. WBAN can use ZigBee,
Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband radio technologies.
This report analyzes the WBAN development, evolving standards, markets and
applications. Details of the IEEE802.15.6 WG project are discussed. Together
with other organizations, the IEEE actively persuades work on WBANs with
emphases on medical applications. It is envisioned that WBAN proliferation
will start in 2011-2012.
2. Bluetooth is one of the most popular technologies in consumer
electronics. Until recently, it was used in health care mostly for
interconnection various medical apparatus. The situation changed with the
development of the Bluetooth health device profile-HDP. This profile is used
for connecting application data Source devices such as blood pressure
monitors, weight scales, glucose meters, thermometers, and pulse oximeters to
application data Sink devices such as mobile phones, laptops, desktop
computers, and health appliances without the need for cables. This profile
will be combined with another Bluetooth development-Ultra-low Power (ULP)
consumption profile to make sure that medical devices can be in the
operational conditions for many months and even years without changes of power
sources.
3. ZigBee technology from its origination was aimed to provide
inexpensive, low-power consumption nodes. In March of 2009, the ZigBee
Alliance has completed development of an application profile for the wireless
communication standard aimed at remote health care monitoring (Personal, Home
and Hospital Care (PHHC) Profile). Specifically, this profile supports secure
monitoring and management of non-critical, low-acuity health care services
targeted at chronic disease management, obesity and ageing. It also provides
full support for IEEE 11073 devices including glucometers, pulse oximeters,
electrocardiographs, weight scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors and
respirometers.
The report assesses characteristics of Bluetooth and ZigBee technologies and
benefits of their utilization in health care and wellness. Market issues are
also addressed with emphasis on medical applications.
The Continua Health Care Alliance is working on the second version of its
guidelines, and, besides industry-wide standard technologies, it also pays
attention to such wireless technologies as Z-wave, BodyLAN, ANT and other.
This is also reflected in the report.
Altogether, the report shows the importance of wireless communications
integration into health care to achieve significant cost reduction together
with the best care.
Research Methodology
Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various
Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing
and technical publications was also conducted. Telephone conversations and
interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives.
In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were
used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including
industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.
The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and
relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the
information content.
Target Audience
This report provides the analysis of wireless technologies and markets in
health care applications; it concentrates on the recent developmental trends.
The report is useful for service providers, IT departments of hospitals and
other medical organizations, retail operators, vendors, network operators and
managers, investors and end users seeking to gain a deeper understanding of
new trends in the wireless communications medical applications.
For systems integrators, the report provides an analysis and assessment of
competing products currently available as well as an estimation of the overall
opportunities in the coming years.
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