Usage of Bluetooth/sup TM/ in wireless sensors for tele-healthcare

The small size and low power consumption of the radio module, use of spread spectrum, and the design for shortrange transmission make Bluetooth/spl trade/ an attractive option in medical sensors. Since Bluetooth/spl trade/ will continue to be a feature found in many devices it is worthwhile to investigate in its use in wireless medical sensors for home-based tele-healthcare. A wireless stethoscope has been implemented using Bluetooth/spl trade/ and PCM encoding. Preliminary results show that it is a feasible solution for transmission of heart and lung sounds. Design of a Bluetooth/spl trade/ wireless ECG is also proposed.