Developments in international standards and regulations for medical device communications

Standards for wireless medical communication are evolving rapidly. These include standards both for interoperability and for regulatory purposes, including channel access requirements to promote equality of access to the radio spectrum and minimise the probability of interference to other services. At the same time, the applications are increasing in scope, fuelled in part by the requirements imposed by an ageing population in many parts of the developed world, and the increasing costs of providing health care for them. This increase will undoubtedly lead to further demands for both radio spectrum and standards for equipment, but with the pressure for radio spectrum that exists, it is difficult to envisage either a primary frequency allocation or further world-wide frequency harmonisation.