The number of radio-frequency (RF) wireless technologies utilized in healthcare facilities and medical devices is significantly increasing. This phenomenon brings to the forefront many issues and concerns, in particular the potential of hacking, spoofing, and interference from surrounding wireless networks. This is especially true for those operating in the license-free RF spectrum, including the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) bands. Recognizing the potential interference among ISM devices, including those of medical use, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) on May 17, 2012 allocated the 2.36-2.4 GHz spectrum band for Medical Body Area Network (MBAN). This spectrum will be promoted for medical devices, enabling them to operate outside the heavily used ISM bands. Although the MBAN spectrum no longer shares bandwidth with the ISM spectrum, it remains an adjacent channel. Careful evaluation of MBAN devices is necessary to avoid adjacent channel interference.
This project proposes the development of wireless coexistence testing protocols for medical devices. Two complementing approaches will be investigated. The first approach will be characterized by an environment that incorporates a variety of wireless networks and technologies, e.g., IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Zigbee, ultra wideband, cordless phones, and RF identification tags. Medical devices will then be evaluated for coexistence by exposing them to real-world, heterogeneous wireless networks using a prescribed methodology. The second approach will utilize vector signal generators (VSG) to emulate wireless signals. Typically, VSGs are fully configurable and able to generate a signal identical in frequency, modulation, and bandwidth to those of offending wireless signals. However, VSGs don?t implement ?listen-before-talk?, thus lacking thorough evaluation of coexistence.
