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Medical Consult-Based System for Diagnosison WiMAX Tchnology

K. Noimanee∗, S. Noimanee, Members,P. Khunja, and P. Keawfoonrungsie, Guest members

ABSTRACT

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Mi-crowave Access) is a high-speed wireless broadbandtechnology that was developed on the IEEE 802.16standards and has developed to support mobile usageby setting a new standard IEEE 802.16e, the abilityto send signals to spread from point-to-multipoint si-multaneous with the ability to work in support Non-Line-of-Sight. This paper presents a measurement ofECG signals with tele-consult using IP video camerawhen the patient has symptom. The patient attachedthe sensor for measure ECG signals. The abnormalECG signals of patient will send to IP video cam-era near patient in order to open for panning videocamera of patient and being monitored by the physi-cians. The physicians can monitor patient using IPvideo camera through the web browser and ECG sig-nals through the application via WiMAX technology.

Keywords: WiMAX, ECG Signal, IP video Camera

1. INTRODUCTION

At present, heart disease is the most serious dis-ease and its incidence increases with age that patientsmust be treated constantly monitored closely. Mostof the cardiac deaths occur outside of the hospital.

Communicative wearable health systems [1]−[3]are recognized as one of the most promising platformsfor minimally obtrusive and individualized health ser-vices at the point of need. The new generation ofbiomedical sensors presents a large spectrum band-width allowing new measurements on humans andnew approaches for diagnosis, ambulatory healthcare,and care at the point of need, any time [4].

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is very importantfor diagnosis Care to prevent patients receiving lifethreatening. In progress has been made in the de-velopment of a remote monitoring system for ECGSignals, the deployment of packet data services overtelecommunication network with new applications

* Corresponding author.Manuscript received on December 16, 2009.,

K. Noimanee is with Department of Electronics Engineering,Facluty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technol-ogy Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand

E-mail addresses: all of none@hotmail.com

[5].The tele-transmitting and receiving of ECG Sig-nals is the main problem for medical-diagnosis andmonitoring. This system is provided remote moni-toring of one or several patients wearing portable de-vices equipped with a PDA-based portable wirelessECG monitoring for physician personal area networkswireless connectivity based on different technologies[6].

Recently, the fast development of mobile technolo-gies, including increased communication bandwidthand miniaturization of mobile terminals, has acceler-ated developments in the field of mobile telemedicine[7].Wireless patient monitoring systems not only in-crease the mobility of patients and medical personnelbut also improve the quality of health care [8].TheIEEE 802.16e mobile WiMAX system describes awireless broadband technology that can support mo-bile users. Mobile WiMAX is the wireless networkwhich can connect Internet in high data rate any-where and anytime. Video surveillance systems arevery effective and important for security manage-ment. Combining traditional cameras and networkvideo technology together, the IP camera can com-press and deliver live video clips to the Internet with-out using a PC so that people can remotely browseand watch the protected area activities. Hence, theIP cameras are key devices of the surveillance systems[9]. This paper describes a complete laboratory pro-totype real-time ECG signals tele-monitoring systemwith the panning IP video camera of patient. Thephysicians can use PDA or notebook for monitoringECG signals and view panning video camera of pa-tient simultaneously via WiMAX technology.

2. STRUCTURE OF THE SYSTEM

Fig.1 shows the structure of overall system. Thesystem consists of four subsystems namely:

1. Portable ECG Transceiver check status of pa-tient and send the biosignal with ZigBee/IEEE RFmodule.

2. IP video camera pans video of patient.3. WiMAX transceiver sends ECG signals and

panning video camera of the patient to the physiciansvia WiMAX technology.

4. Personal monitor consist application on physi-cian’s PDAs or notebook for monitor information sys-tem, analysis data and view panning video camera ofpatient.

52 K. Noimanee et al.: Medical Consult-Based System for Diagnosis on WiMAX Tchnology (51-55)

Fig.1: Structure of overall system

3. SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

Physicians can use PDA connect to the IP videocamera by the web browser and monitoring ECGsignals by the application on physician’s PDA viaWiMAX technology.

3.1 Portable ECG transceiver

The ECG signals acquired from electrodes mustbe amplified by amplifier and eliminate range of fre-quency of unwanted signal left before to the microcon-troller. Then, the ECG signals from microcontrollerwill be connects via ZigBee/IEEE technology whichis XBee-PRO OEM RF on IEEE 802.15.4 standardsand support the unique needs of low-cost, low-powerwireless sensor networks. Fig.2 illustrates essentialblocks for portable ECG transmitter and Fig.3 showstransmit ECG signals by ZigBee/IEEE technology.

Fig.2: Portable ECG transmitter

Fig.4 shows ECG amplifiers with high pass filterand low pass filter circuit board.

From Fig.5 shows PIC12F675 microcontroller foranalog to digital signal conversion and patient inter-face with ZigBee’s transmitter. Fig.6 shows ZigBee’sreceiver.

3.2 IP video camera

At ZigBee’s receiver, the abnormal ECG signals ofpatient will lead to trig the relay for open the IP video

Fig.3: ZigBee/ IEEE technology

Fig.4: Circuit board of ECG amplifiers

Fig.5: Microcontroller with ZigBee’s transmitter

Fig.6: ZigBee’s receiver

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camera. If the relay is trigged, the IP video camerathat connects to the relay will be opened.

3.3 WiMAX transceiver

WiMAX refers to interoperable implementationsof the IEEE 802.16 wireless-networks standard, insimilarity with Wi-Fi, which refers to interoperableimplementations of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LANstandard. The bandwidth and range of WiMAX pro-vide portable mobile broadband connectivity acrosscities and ecountries through a variety of devices anda wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last milebroadband access.

There are numerous devices that provide connec-tivity to a WiMAX network. These are known asthe subscriber unit (SU) such as Residential Sub-scriber Unit, Outdoor Subscriber Unit, Mobile Sub-scriber Unit and PC Card CPE (customer-premisesequipment). There is an increasing focus on portableunits, this includes handsets (similar to cellular smartphones), PC peripherals (PC Cards or USB don-gles), and embedded devices in laptops, which arenow available for Wi-Fi services. It is notable thatWiMAX is more similar to Wi-Fi than to 3G cellu-lar technologies. WiMAX and Wi-Fi are related towireless connectivity and Internet access.

WiMAX Base Transceiver Station (WiMAX BTS)delivers flexible, high-speed connectivity for fixed andnomadic wireless broadband access. It will keep costsdown as your system needs change by supporting ahighly scalable system architecture for both rural andmetropolitan areas. In conjunction with the Residen-tial Subscriber Unit, Outdoor Subscriber Unit, Mo-bile Subscriber Unit, and PC Card CPE, the BTSincorporates automatic adaptive modulation to max-imize the capacity of the airlink over a wide varietyof configurations and propagation conditions.

WiMAX operates on the same general principlesas WiFi, it sends data from one computer to an-other via radio signals. A computer (either a desktopor a laptop) equipped with WiMAX would receivedata from the WiMAX transmitting station, proba-bly using encrypted data keys to prevent unautho-rized users from stealing access. The fastest WiFiconnection can transmit up to 54 megabits per sec-ond under optimal conditions. WiMAX should beable to handle up to 70 megabits per second. Thebiggest difference isn’t speed; it’s distance. WiMAXoutdistances WiFi by miles. WiFi’s range is about100 feet (30 m). WiMAX will blanket a radius of30 miles (50 km) with wireless access. The increasedrange is due to the frequencies used and the power ofthe transmitter.

WiMAX can be used for wireless networking inmuch the same way as the more common WiFi pro-tocol. WiMAX is a second-generation protocol thatallows for more efficient bandwidth use, interferenceavoidance, and is intended to allow higher data rates

over longer distances. In practical terms, WiMAXwould operate similar to WiFi but at higher speeds,over greater distances and for a greater number ofusers. WiMAX BTS use channel bandwidth at 2.6GHZ in the range of 3-6 MHz, operating in modetime division duplex (TDD), RF output power equalto 2 watts, RF input impedance and RF outputimpedance are 50 ohms, Power Requirements about36 to 60 vdc and Average Power Consumption is 100watts.

3.4 Personal monitor

A physician access by remote monitoring client,and can request information of patient by PDA ornotebook. These must be install ECG monitor soft-ware for get patient’s information and connected tohospital server including view panning video cameraof patient through the web browser via WiMAX tech-nology.

4. TEST RESULTS

Fig.7: Represent of the normal ECG signals

Fig.8: Abnormal ECG signals on screen of PC withthe patient’s video.

We will test sending the abnormal ECG signals totrig the relay for open the IP video camera, Physi-cians can view panning video camera of patient whenIP video camera is opened and monitoring patient’sECG signals by use PDA via WiMAX technology.Fig.7 shows using LED (Light−emitting diode) in-stead of ECG signal that normal from patient’s elec-

54 K. Noimanee et al.: Medical Consult-Based System for Diagnosis on WiMAX Tchnology (51-55)

Fig.9: The ECG display on screen of PC with videoof patient 1

Fig.10: The ECG display on screen of PC with videoof patient 2

trodes. Relay is not trigged as a result IP video cam-era is not opened.

From Fig.8 shows using LED instead of ECG sig-nals that abnormal from patient’s electrodes. Relayis trigged as a result IP video camera is opened.

Figure 9 and 10 are shows the ECG display onNotebook screen with VDO of volunteer patient. Inthis case, the method was also improvement usingCCD camera for viewing the patient while he/she isfar away from hospital.

5. CONCLUSIONS

design of measurement of ECG with Medical Con-sult via WiMAX technology is completed followingportable ECG transceiver, IP video camera, Wimaxtransceiver and personal monitor. In this paper wehave presented the global architecture of measure-ment ECG signals with medical-consult platform, wehave designed and performed some experiments thatconsisted ECG measurement for measure the ab-normal ECG signals of the patient, the device Zig-Bee/IEEE which is a wireless communications thatit’s a good alternative to other interface and IP videocamera for panning video of patient while the patienthas abnormal ECG signals. The system provides amuch satisfaction for remote patient monitoring, anda remote monitoring PDA clients of the physicians toanalyze the data easily and quickly and shows infor-mation via WiMAX technology.

References

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K. Noimanee was born in ChiangMai, Thailand 1986. He received theB.Eng. (Computer Engineering) de-gree from Chiang Mai University, Chi-ang Mai, Thailand in 2009. Currently heis Master student (Biomedical Engineer-ing) in Department of Electronics En-gineering, Faculty of Engineering, KingMongkut’s Institute of Technology Lad-krabang, Bangkok, Thailand. His re-search interests in signal processing and

medical Imaging.

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S. Noimanee was born in Chiang Mai,Thailand. He received the B.Eng. (Elec-trical Engineering) from Institute ofTechnology, Bangkok, Thailand in 1984,and the M.Eng. (Electrical Engineer-ing) degree from Chiang Mai Universityin 1995, and Ph.D. (Materials Science)degree from Chiang Mai University in2008. He is Associate Professor at De-partment of Computer Engineering Hisresearch interests in Biomedical Engi-

neering, Wireless Sensor Network on WiMAX.

P. Khanja was born in Uttaradit, Thai-land. He received the M.Eng. (Com-puter Engineering) from Chiang MaiUniversity, Chiang Mai, Thailand in2008. Currently he is Lecturer in Fac-ulty of Industrial Computer, UltraditRajabhat University, Thailand. His re-search interests in applied program forECG Signal.

P. Keawfoonrungsie was born inPhitsanuloke, Thailand. He received theM.Eng. (Computer Engineering) fromChiang Mai University, Chiang Mai,Thailand in 2008. Currently he is Lec-turer in Faculty of , Chiang Mai Rajab-hat University, Thailand. His researchinterests in applied program for ECGSignal