شبكة الجسم اللاسلكية وأنظمة الصحة المتنقلة
كلية التربية الأساسية/حديثة - قسم العلوم العامة
Presently, the field of wireless communications is considered one of the fastest growing segments of the telecommunications industry representing an integral part of residential commercial, military computing applications, and has become an essential tool in many people’s everyday lives, both professional and personal.
Wireless networks are classified according to the geographic spread of nodes and hosts or communication coverage region into many kinds.
The last type which covers the smaller area called Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN), be close to human body and communication range very limited with typical values around 1-2 meters.
The use of sensors to measure the biometrics and movements of human body has resulted in the design of WBANs to enhance health observance and alternative health care applications system
The elderly population in many developed countries and the rising costs of health care as well as recent advances in electronics and development in the realm of wireless communication technology have triggered the development recent special type of wireless networks that greatly influenced in improvements in current health care practices.
WBANs,also called Wireless On-Body Networks, Body Area Networks (BANs), And Body Sensor Networks (BSNs) this type of network was firstly introduced by T. G. Zimmerman in 1996 defined as wireless personal area networks (WPAN) then replaced by WBAN.
The term "WBAN" was coined by Van Dam et al. In 2001, WBAN is an ad hoc network which consists of small, intelligent devices attached to clothing or on the body or even implanted under the skin which are capable of establishing a wireless communication link.
BAN devices may be embedded inside the body as implants, Each intelligent device or sensor node called biosensor node (BN) forwards data to a central coordinator called body Network Controller (BNC) or personal server (PS) which is typically a hand-held device (like PDA or smart phone) that is usually associated with the same patient to collect health data (such as temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.). Then, the PS transmits data to a medical server (MS) (which can be a physician or staff) in hospital, clinic or elsewhere for required recommendations. Each WBAN is associated with only one body. It is also possible that multiple WBANs are associated with one central MS. The MS stores and processes information of all the WBANs that is associated with it.Using a WBAN grants the patient a greater physical mobility and he/she is no longer compelled to stay in the hospital. Applications of WBAN include healthcare, life care and athlete examination. Healthcare includes care for inpatients especially those who are seriously ill, unconscious or under intensive care. Life care includes patients who live normally but may require medical care at any time. Also, Reduce the burden of disease management for those with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension especially
Sensor nodes can be categorized into wearable such as Pulse oximetry, Electrocardiography(ECG), Blood Pressure(Bp), Electroencephalography (EEG) and implantable sensors such as Glucose Monitoring.
WBANs have emerged as a key component and promising technique in building personal health monitoring systems generally, and especially Electronic–health system "E-health" systems.WBANs integrated into" M-Health "systems are becoming a mature technology with unprecedented opportunities for personalized health monitoring and management and great influence in improvements current health care practices.
(E-health) represents the main one in personal health monitoring systems. In E-health, electronic approaches and communications are used to support health care applications such as computers, mobile phones, and satellite communications. The health care now is going a step further by using mobile applications for healthcare. This is referred to as mobile health (M-health). The main technologies carrying M-health information are GSM/ GPRS/ 3G/ and 4G-LTE mobile telephone networks; WiFi and WiMAX computer-based technologies; and Bluetooth for short-range communications .
M-Health is a young and dynamic field plays a great role in increasing the people's welfare by improving health care for people all around the world. This is mainly done by reducing costs and improving the quality of healthcare.
M-Health technology offers real-time monitoring and detection of changes in health status supports the adoption and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, provides early and rapid diagnosis of health conditions, and facilitates the implementation of interventions. These interventions are ranging from promoting patient self-care to providing remote healthcare services allowing for physicians to diagnose, monitor, and treat patients remotely without compromising standards of care to keep life people.