Bluetooth Wireless Wearable Modular Medical Instrumentation

The proposed project will create a novel system for using medical instruments in a wireless network. A unique, highly innovative system architecture is proposed. This work is made possible by the new low-cost wireless networking technology called Bluetooth. Bluetooth makes it commercially feasible for low-cost portable devices to be connected in a true wireless network. This enabling technology will have a long-term impact on future medical systems. By adding Bluetooth wireless connectivity to standard medical instruments such as a pulse oximeter, electrocardiograph, or blood pressure monitor, a highly flexible medical data acquisition system can be constructed for managing medical data in the clinic, small doctors office, emergency medical, or homecare environments. Such a system will lower costs, improve safety, and make possible new monitoring modalities. The proposed innovation is highly relevant to space medicine and health care systems since many of the improvements address the specific needs of remote diagnosis and treatment. In phase II the software architecture and Bluetooth enabled medical instruments will be developed and integrated into an existing commercially successful medical system. FDA approval will be obtained and a new commercial system will resultcommercial production.