Design and Implementation of a Low-Power Body Area Network for Real-Time Monitoring of Vital Signs

Body area network refers to wearable sensors that can measure vital signs 24/7. It has potential uses in healthcare, such as early detection of health issues. The more difficult part about implementing a BAN is creating a system that uses low power and will need to be replaced over long periods. In this work, we present the design and implementation of a low-power BAN for real-time acquisition of vital signals. It comprises small, energy-efficient sensors that measure vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Each sensor is interfaced to a low-power radio module that transmits the data wirelessly to a central monitoring unit. Then, we use novel energy-management strategies like duty cycling and dynamic voltage scaling to save power consumption. We are also using sophisticated signal processing algorithms to minimize the data that needs to be sent, which will also help to decrease power consumption. We have successfully deployed and tested a BAN in real conditions. Our results demonstrate major savings in battery consumption over current implementations of BAN. This low-power BAN can change the healthcare field and accelerate its deployment by allowing vital signs to be monitored in real-time at an affordable cost.