Network of wireless medical devices to assess activity using non-traditional sensors

In this paper, we present the design of two smart sensors that were developed for deployment within a body worn wireless network of medical devices. Ambulatory and remote monitoring of biomedical signals have gained importance in the last decade as medical institutions try to reduce costs by discharging patients earlier while still requiring various levels of monitoring. Most of the systems currently on the market are bulky, closed architecture, static in configuration and use wired medical devices, all of which limit their usage. Most current devices provide only raw signals that are processed by a central-wearable computer limiting scalability. Queens University and the Royal Military College of Canada have teamed up to research and design a new generation of ambulatory medical telemetry systems. The aim of the research is to develop an open architecture using Real-Time Object Oriented Modeling that will allow wireless, wearable medical devices to join a dynamically configurable monitoring environment. The intent of the system is to monitor patients recovery by measuring biometrics and biomedical signals as they go about their daily activities in the comfort of their homes. The sensors that are being developed as part of this research are smart sensors that can provide pre-processed information, reducing the load on the wearable computer.