Abstract

Abstract—The 1990s has been the era of the personal computer and the mobile phone with the resulting large-scale integration of IT and communications providing vast processing power and accessibility to information and people. The next decade will see the emergence of intelligent sensors and their widespread deployment throughout our environment, dramatically improving the quality of our daily lives in terms of our health, security, comfort and entertainment. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) will enable point-of-care-diagnostics and provide the data input to e-health management systems that will allow significant enhancement of health care programmes. They will also support the evolution of wearable medical devices aimed at improving the fitness and general well-being of the individual. This paper discusses the development, design characterization and test of a miniaturised wireless, wearable blood pressure and ECG monitor developed at the Tyndall National Institute for medical applications. This wireless platform is incorporated with the Data Management System (DMS) architecture which aims to optimise accurate data delivery within a WSN medical environment. Good data management infrastructures within a medical environment help improve productivity levels for medical practitioners, and can improve patient diagnosis.

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