System til remote telemedicin er baseret på ANT+ protokol
Det østrigske firma Spantec står bag det første trådløse telemedicinske monitorerings-system, der anvender Nordic's 2,4 GHz ANT transceivere (in english).
Ultra low power (ULP) RF specialist Nordic Semiconductor ASA announces that Austrian company Spantec has developed the world\'s first fully comprehensive ANT+ telemedical remote monitoring system using Nordic nRF24AP2 8-channel 2.4GHz ANT transceivers.
The i-Residence uses an ANT+ ULP wireless network to detect medical emergencies in nursing homes, hospitals, and private households (particularly for the elderly). The network employs ANT+ compatible devices and a series of wireless relay bridges (typically one per room or ward) that connect to an ANT+ hub located in a GSM-based (cell phone network) modem.
Emergencies are detected and classified in rising levels of escalation with various application-dependent measurement options. These include automatic fall detection using a wireless hip worn device developed by Spantec (currently undergoing full clinical trials in one of Austria\'s largest hospitals) that measures movement and motion (and is able to store data for scientific research as well); automatic alert to rescue center control desks, relatives or neighbors by phone, Short Message Service (SMS or ‘text message’), or visual interface; and full compatibility with any third party ANT+ medical, health or fitness device (such as monitors for blood pressure, blood glucose, mobile electrocardiogram (ECG), weight, or heart rate).
In operation, a Nordic nRF24AP2 2.4GHz 8-channel Single-Chip-Connectivity solution running ANT RF protocol software is built into a Spantec-provided GSM modem ANT+ hub that can communicate with up to 64 Nordic nRF24AP2 8-channel-based Spantec relays per sub net.
The ULP performance characteristics of the Nordic ANT chips mean that in the event of a mains power failure, the relays can run from back-up battery power alone for up to 24 hours. In addition, Nordic ANT chips are highly immune to interference from other 2.4GHz wireless sources (such at Bluetooth wireless technology and Wi-Fi) that may be operating in the vicinity. (See \'About nRF24AP2 8-channel\' below.)
- Governments and healthcare providers desperately need a product like this in order to meet spiraling healthcare costs that are fast reaching unsustainable levels – particularly in the current economic climate, comments Armin Blaha, owner and Chief Executive Officer at Spantec.
- This is mainly due to social factors such as aging populations and an explosion in lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes that need to be carefully monitored and managed if life threatening complications are to be avoided.
Independent research analyst ABI Research, for example, supports Blaha’s conclusions by predicting that the market for wireless body area network (BAN) sensors will reach 400 million shipments by 2014 and shift from the sports and fitness sector (which accounts for around 9 in 10 wireless sensors shipping today) to include a growing professional healthcare and home healthcare market (see tinyurl.com/kuxggj). In a separate study by analysts Juniper Research, it was predicted that public and private healthcare providers in developed countries could save up to US$5.8 billion in healthcare costs by 2014 through the use of remote patient monitoring technology linked to cell phone networks (see tinyurl.com/36pqvle).
- Telemedical and telehealth remote monitoring allows many currently laborious human-based medical and care activities to be automated using wireless sensor-based monitoring and networks that not only massively reduce costs but also typically increase the reliability and therefore accuracy of collecting and recording medical data, continues Blaha.
- And for such applications, ANT is a proven and extremely practical RF protocol – backed by the ANT+ managed network to ensure interoperability – and Nordic the longest established and most proven chip supplier.
