The ever expanding medical field is now implementing concepts of telehealth and telerehabilitation to expedite the process of transmitting information. This rapidly developing application of clinical medicine transmits information either in real time (synchronous) or at given points throughout the day (asynchronous).
In 1999, the FCC set aside a frequency range between 402 and 405 MHz, which was specifically earmarked for wireless transition and communication between implanted medical devices and external equipment receiving the information.
RF transceivers are at the forefront of the trend
to supplement wireless communications for
medical implantable devices. These devices
not only include cardiac products such as
pacemakers, but also extend to glucose insulin
monitors for diabetes management and vascular
blood pressure monitors.
Wireless data retrieval is not the only way that RF devices are implemented in the medical field. Traditional MRI machines also make use of RF connectors. The transmission system consists of an RF synthesis, power amplifier, and a transmitting coil. This system is usually built into the body of the scanner.
Technologies Supported:
MRI- Short for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI is a diagnostic imaging tool which transmits an RF signal to a patient
under a powerful magnetic field. The magnetic field causes the hydrogen atoms in the patient’s body to spin in
the same direction, while the RF signal excites the hydrogen atoms in the patient’s body relative to the magnetic
field, which produces an image. The RF signal is typically received by an MRI coil that is in direct contact
with the patient on the area to be imaged. Wireless Patient Monitoring - Monitoring a patient’s vital signs has historically required longer hospital stays. With hospital costs continuing to
rise, wireless RF technology helps minimize this cost by allowing the patient to be monitored by a remote location,
either at an outpatient facility or even in the comfort of their own home, without being tethered to a hospital bed.
Wireless patient monitoring devices typically operate within the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio
bands of 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. IMD's- Short for Implantable Medical Devices, IMD’s are controlled by an external transmitter that sends RF signals
through the skin to an implanted receiver, which is surgically placed under the skin. Examples of IMD’s include
glucose meters, pacemakers and neurostimulators. Hospital Equipment RFID - Hospitals contain many pieces of equipment to care for its patients. From wheelchairs to heart defibrillators to infusion pumps, this equipment can be needed at a moment’s notice. Wireless RF technology allows hospitals to track their equipment throughout their facility at all times so they can know where the equipment is and whether
it’s being used. This allows hospitals to use their equipment more efficiently and at a lower cost.
Market
Overview
