Development of measurement techniques and tools for coexistence testing of wireless medical devices

The 2.4 GHz ISM band is crowded with a wide variety of wireless devices operating under various protocols. For many reasons, medical device manufacturers are increasingly incorporating wireless technologies into their devices, many of which operate in the ISM band. Monitoring and characterizing wireless spectrum utilization is vital to better plan wireless network deployments and to assess the risk of interference. This work introduces measurement techniques and tools to aid in providing reliable spectrum utilization characterization for coexistence testing of wireless medical devices. Measurements obtained from developed tools can help the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and medical device manufacturers to gain a better understanding of expected interference factors. Wireless medical device testing with these tools could ensure a reliable device that will enhance patient safety and accelerate introducing innovative wireless medical devices to market.