A Web services based framework for the transmission of physiological data for local and remote neonatal intensive care

Premature and ill term babies born in metropolitan and regional Australia are monitored and supported by a range of medical devices within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) or special care nurseries. Information produced by these devices is in a range of formats making data transmission infrastructures complex. This paper details case study based Web service framework research for the transmission of physiological data for local and remote neonatal intensive care. This framework enables real-time physiological data collected from medical monitors and ventilators attached to the baby to be encoded in XML and transmitted via the use of a physiological log Web service. The key contribution of this significant research is the infrastructure providing a mechanism for neonatologists to receive information directly from a regional hospital, thereby preventing, in some cases, the immediate need to move the baby. This paper further describes the application of that architecture to a specific pilot within the NICU at Nepean Hospital, Penrith Australia.