Title: Ambulatory monitoring of free living patients affected by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) using Wireless Sensor Networks

Authors: M. Pallikonda Rajasekaran, S. Radhakrishnan, P. Subbaraj

Addresses: Kalasalingam University, Anand Nagar, Krishnankoil 626 190, Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Kalasalingam University, Anand Nagar, Krishnankoil 626 190, Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India. ' Kalasalingam University, Anand Nagar, Krishnankoil 626 190, Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract: Ambulatory investigations have become more and more important as many medical or physiological investigations that can be performed under the real situations of daily life. To perform complex physiological investigations under ambulatory conditions over long period of daily life, we have developed a real-time monitoring system for ambulatory patients that consist of a vital signs sensor, sensor network, electronic patient records and web portal technology to allow monitoring of ambulatory patients status and to alert medical personnel when life-threatening events occur. Ambulatory patients include the patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), patients with Parkinson|s disease (PD) during rehabilitation period. This system will facilitate communication among patients, medical professionals at local hospitals and provide knowledge discovery through integrated data mining. It also prevents the patient from re-hospitalisation and to avoid possible critical events, thus reducing global healthcare costs.

Keywords: WSN; wireless sensor networks; COPD; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Parkinson|s disease; ambulatory monitoring; patient monitoring; e-healthcare; electronic healthcare; remote monitoring; wireless networks; vital signs sensors; electronic patient records; web portals; life-threatening events; alerts; knowledge discovery; data mining; medical emergencies; emergency management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2010.034517

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2010 Vol.4 No.2, pp.111 - 122

Published online: 07 Aug 2010 *

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