Research challenges in wireless networks of biomedical sensors

Abstract

Implanted biomedical devices ha ve the potential to revo-lutionize medicine. Smart sensors, whic hare created by combining sensing materials with integrated circuitry, are being considered for several biomedical applications such as a glucose level monitor or a retina prosthesis. These devices require the capability to communicate with an external com-puter system (base station) via a wireless interface. The lim-ited pow erand computational capabilities of smart sensor based biological implants presen t research challenges in sev-eral aspects of wireless netw orking due to the need for having a bio-compatible, fault-tolerant, energy-eÆcient, and scal-able design. Further, em bedding thesesensors in humans add additional requirements. For example, the wireless net-w orking solutions should be ultra-safe and reliable, w ork trouble-free in dierent geographical locations (although im-plants are typically not expected to move; they shouldn't restrict the movements of their human host), and require minimal maintenance. This necessitates application-specic solutions which are vastly dierent from traditional solu-tions. In this paper, w e describe the potential of biomedical smart sensors. We then explain the challenges for wire-less netw orking of human-embedded smart sensor arrays and our preliminary approach for wireless netw orking of a retina prosthesis. Our aim is to motivate vigorous research in this area by illustrating the need for more application-specic and novel approaches tow ard developing wireless network-ing solutions for human-implanted smart sensors.