The SBIR Phase I research project proposes to develop critical wireless networking technology for a "Last Meters Link" that will connect physiological body sensors to various mobile devices that have access to existing WAN/LAN network infrastructure. It will enable Mobile Healthcare on a large scale, by providing a critical bridge from physiological sensors to WAN/LAN via mobile devices. The project will verify key concepts for a physiological sensor network leveraging a revolutionary CMOS radio architecture for the "Last Meters Link". This proposal aims to develop certain critical technologies for a semiconductor platform that wraps low cost, robust wireless communications around sensors for common clinically important parameters to enable the development of safe, highly reliable, easy-to-use and low cost mobile healthcare systems that can work with the existing network infrastructure. It will provide a substantial advantage in terms of power and reliability over today's systems.
The US healthcare system is in a state of crisis due to extraordinarily high costs, and getting worse by the day with baby boomers retiring and obesity rising. In order to lower the cost and maintain the quality of care, the patient must be moved from expensive hospital-based facilities into homes or similar lower cost facilities. This change requires low cost wireless continuous ambulatory monitoring systems providing clinical visibility to enable the clinician to make the needed diagnostic/therapy changes from a remote location. Such a technology system will also serve critical industrial/consumer/military applications that require an ultra low power and ultra reliable radio.
