Abstract
This is the second issue of the Practel report, which provides up-to-date
information as well as incorporates new materials. The report concentrates on
recent contributions of wireless communications in health care and fitness to
enhance the quality of service together with the significant cost reduction,
eliminating complicated and expensive wireline communications.
The health care cost is rising each year, and in the U.S. reached around
16%-17% of the GDP with the trend to add at least one percent each year. Wide
utilization of wireless communications, as our analysis showed, can reduce the
health care cost by billions of dollars on an annual basis. Much of that
savings is derived by reducing hospitalizations and extending independent
living for seniors.
Ambient Intelligence is a vision where environment becomes smart, friendly,
context-aware and responsive to any type of human needs. In such a world,
computing and networking technology coexist with people in a ubiquitous,
friendly and pervasive way. Numerous miniature and interconnected smart
devices create a new intelligence and interact with each other seamlessly. For
health care, this translates into proliferation of remote monitoring and
telemedicine.
The report addresses recent advances in wireless technologies medical/fitness
applications. Particular, it analyzes the following:
- Evolving IEEE 802.15.6 standard-Wireless Body Access Networks (WIBANs)
- Bluetooth technology and its Medical Profile
- ZigBee technology and its Medical Profile
- Z-Wave technology
- BodyLAN and other technologies
- Role of power harvesting in the development of WIBAN sensor networking
- Continua Health Care Alliance activities and wireless communications.
All analyzed technologies can satisfy, in various degrees, major requirements
that the health care industry is asking for: networking based on wireless
sensors, which allow a combination of extremely low power consumption and very
low transmitted power together with high reliability and quality of service
(QoS).
The report also addresses the role of sustainable harvesting power supply as a
necessary element to make WIBAN and similar structures maintenance-free and
environmental friendly.
The market development of segments based on WIBAN technologies is analyzed.
1. Recent technological progress in low-power integrated circuits,
wireless communications and physiological sensors promote the development of
tiny, lightweight, ultra-low-power monitoring devices that can be used in a
wide spectrum of applications. A body-centric network, so-called
WIBAN-Wireless Body Area Network, can be formed by integrating these devices
on a human body (or its proximity). WIBAN, with sensors consuming extremely
low power, is used to monitor patients in critical conditions inside hospital.
Outside the hospital, the network can transmit patients' vital signs to their
physicians over the Internet (or private networks) in real time. WIBAN can use
ZigBee, Bluetooth as well as other technologies.
This report analyzes the WIBAN development, evolving standards, markets and
applications. Details of the IEEE802.15.6 WG project are discussed. Together
with other organizations, the IEEE actively persuades work on WIBANs with
emphases on medical applications. It is envisioned that WIBAN
commercialization will start in 2012-2014, though many elements are present
today.
2. Bluetooth is one of the most popular technologies in consumer
electronics. Until recently, it was used in health care mostly for
interconnection various medical apparatus. The situation changed with the
development of the Bluetooth health device profile-HDP. This profile is used
for connecting application data Source devices such as blood pressure
monitors, weight scales, glucose meters, thermometers, and pulse oximeters to
application data Sink devices such as mobile phones, laptops, desktop
computers, and health appliances without the need for cables. This profile
will be combined with another Bluetooth development-Ultra-low Power (ULP)
consumption profile to make sure that medical devices can be in the
operational conditions for many months and even years with minimum maintenance
required.
3. ZigBee technology from its origination was aimed to provide
inexpensive, low-power consumption nodes. In March of 2009, the ZigBee
Alliance has completed development of an application profile for the wireless
communication standard aimed at remote health care monitoring (Personal, Home
and Hospital Care (PHHC) Profile). Specifically, this profile supports secure
monitoring and management of non-critical, low-acuity health care services
targeted at chronic disease management, obesity and ageing. It also provides
full support for IEEE 11073 devices including glucometers, pulse oximeters,
electrocardiographs, weight scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors and
respirometers.
The report assesses characteristics of Bluetooth and ZigBee technologies and
benefits of their utilization in health care and wellness. Market issues are
also addressed with emphasis on medical applications.
The Continua Health Care Alliance is working on the second version of its
guidelines, and, besides industry-wide standard technologies, it also consider
such wireless technologies as Z-wave, BodyLAN, ANT and other. This is also
reflected in the report.
Altogether, the report shows the importance of wireless communications
integration into the health care development to achieve significant cost
reduction together with the improved service.
Target Audience
This report provides the analysis of wireless technologies and markets in
health care and wellness applications; it concentrates on the recent
developmental trends. The report is useful for service providers, IT
departments of hospitals and other medical organizations, retail operators,
vendors, network operators and managers, investors and end users seeking to
gain a deeper understanding of new trends in the wireless communications
medical applications.
Research Methodology
Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various
Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing
and technical publications was also conducted. Telephone conversations and
interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives.
In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were
used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including
industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.
The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and
relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the
information content.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
- 1.1 General
- 1.2 WIBAN
- 1.3 Bluetooth
- 1.4 ZigBee
- 1.5 Demand
- 1.6 Crisis
- 1.7 Continua
- 1.8 Scope
- 1.9 Research Methodology
- 1.10 Target Audience
2.0 WIBAN Technologies and Markets
- 2.1 Definition
- 2.2 Overview
- 2.3 Groups
- 2.3.1 By Application
- 2.3.2 By Transmission Media
- 2.3.3 By Number of Nodes
- 2.3.4 By Environment
- 2.3.5 By Radio Type
- 2.3.6 By Source
- 2.3.7 By Response
- 2.4 Standardization
- 2.4.1 General
- 2.4.2 IEEE 802.15
- 2.4.2.1 Status
- 2.4.2.2 Purpose
- 2.4.2.3 Components
- 2.4.2.4 Major Characteristics
- 2.4.2.5 Traffic Types
- 2.4.2.6 Summary
- 2.4.3 FCC
- 2.4.4 ISO/IEEE 11073
- 2.5 Requirements: WIBAN
- 2.6 Applications in Healthcare and Fitness
- 2.7 WIBAN for First Responders and Military
- 2.8 Market: WIBAN
- 2.9 Samples: Vendors
- BodyMedia
- Imec
- FRWD
- Nokia
- Suunto
- Toumaz
- Vivago
- Xybernaut
- Zarlink
- 2.10 Examples: Universities Research-Managed WIBAN
- 2.11 Current and Future Trends-Getting Closer to WIBAN
3.0 IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth-BT)
- 3.1 BT Protocol Stack
- 3.1.1 Transport layer
- 3.1.1.1 Radio Layer
- 3.1.1.2 Baseband and Link Manager Layers
- 3.1.1.3 Middleware Layer
- 3.2 Profiles
- 3.2.1 Power Consumption-ULP
- 3.2.2 Health Device Profile
- 3.2.2.1 IEEE 11073 and BT
- 3.3 Bluetooth Security
- 3.4 Highlights
- 3.4.1 The Standard:
- 3.4.2 The Technology:
- 3.4.3 Evolution
- 3.5 Market Estimate
- 3.6 BT Industry-HDP
- Bluegiga
- Cambridge Consultants
- Continua
- iFoundry-Nestronics
- Laird Technologies
- Nonin
- Stollmann
4.0 ZigBee
- 4.1 General
- 4.2 Technology
- 4.2.1 Major Features
- 4.2.2 Device Types
- 4.2.3 Protocol Stack
- 4.2.3.1 Physical and MAC Layers - IEEE802.15.4
- 4.2.4 Upper Layers
- 4.3 Interoperability
- 4.4 Security
- 4.5 Platform Considerations
- 4.6 ZigBee Technology Benefits and Limitations
- 4.7 Standardization Process
- 4.7.1 ZigBee Alliance
- 4.7.2 IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee
- 4.7.2.1 IEEE 802.15.4 Radio
- 4.8 Application Specifics
- 4.8.1 Personal, Home and Hospital Care (PHHC) Profile
- 4.8.1.1 Objectives
- 4.8.1.2 Details
- 4.8.1.3 Major Features
- 4.9 Applications Overview
- 4.10 Market
- 4.10.1 Segments-ZigBee Market
- 4.10.2 Forecast
- 4.10.3 Industry
- Airbee (Software; Includes Medical Applications)
- Amber (RF Systems)
- Arch Rock (WSN)
- Atmel (Chipsets)
- CEL (modules)
- Chipcon - TI (Chipsets)
- Cirronet-RFM (Modules)
- Crossbow (WSN, Environment Monitoring, motes)
- Digi (Radio, Medical Application)
- Ember (Chipsets)
- Falcom (Modules)
- GreenPeak (WSN)
- Halo (Wearable Sensors-Health Care)
- Helicomm (Modules)
- Jennic (Chipsets-Modules-Health Care)
- Freescale (Chipsets)
- MeshNetics (Atmel Acquired MeshNetics ZigBee Intellectual
Properties-February, 2009) (Modules)
- Moteiv- Sentilla (Modules, SW)
- Nanotron (Chipsets, Health Care Applications)
- Oki (Chipsets)
- Renesas (Platforms)
- Silicon Laboratories (Chipsets, Modules, Medical)
- Synapse (Module, Protocols)
- Telegesis (Integrator)
- TI (Chipsets)
5.0 Competing Technologies
- 5.1 Selection
- 5.1.1 Progress: Continua Health Alliance
- 5.2 Toumaz
- 5.3 Ant+
- 5.4 Z-Wave
- 5.4.1 Medical Application
- 5.4.2 Z-Wave Alliance
- 5.4.3 Benefits
- 5.4.4 Details
- 5.4.4.1 General
- 5.4.4.2 Characteristics
- 5.4.5 ZigBee and Z-Wave
- 5.4.6 Advanced Energy Control Framework
- 5.4.7 Benefits and Issues
- 5.4.8 Selected Vendors
- Aeon Labs
- Mi Casa Verde
- Sigma Designs
- 5.4.9 Pricing
- 5.5 BodyLAN
- 5.5.1 FitLinxx
- 5.5.2 FitSense
- 5.5.3 Invocon
- 5.6 Expectations: BT and ZigBee
6.0 Non-traditional Power Sources - Friends of Environment
- 6.1 Methods
- 6.2 Batteries
- 6.3 New Technologies
- 6.3.1 Energy Sources
- 6.3.2 Industry
- AdaptivEnergy
- Advanced Cerametrics
- Advanced Linear Devices
- AD Hoc Electronics
- AmbioSystems
- Ambient Micro
- Cymbet
- EnOcean
- GreenPeak
- GreyStone
- JDL
- Jennic
- Micropelt
- Nokia
- Perpetuum
- Perpetua
- Powercast
- Schneider Electric
- Sentilla
- TI
- Zarlink Semiconductor
7.0 Conclusions
Appendix: FCC Input
TABLES:
- Table 1: Classification
- Table 2: IEEE Draft Specification
- Table 3: IEEE 11073
- Table 4: WIBAN Medical Applications
- Table 5: Bluetooth Profiles
- Table 6: ZigBee Parameters
- Table 7: Z-Wave and ZigBee
- Table 8: Z-wave Products Retail Pricing
FIGURES:
- Figure 1: Sensor
- Figure 2: Proposed Spectrum
- Figure 3: IEEE 11073 Protocols Family
- Figure 4: Layers
- Figure 5: WIBAN Characteristics
- Figure 6: Addressable Market: U.S. WIBAN Sales-In-home Fitness (Age Group
20-45 years) $US M
- Figure 7: Addressable Market: U.S. WIBAN Sales-In-home Fitness (Age Group
45 and up) $US M
- Figure 8: Addressable Market: U.S. WIBAN Sales-Hospitals- ($M)
- Figure 9: Addressable Market-U.S. First Responders WIBAN Sales ($M)
- Figure 10: Bluetooth Protocol Stack
- Figure 11: Piconets Illustration
- Figure 12: BT HDP Building Blocks
- Figure 13: Estimate - BT Market (Modules Shipped in Million)
- Figure 14: BT Market Estimate - Modules Sales ($US M)
- Figure 15: BT Market Geographical Segmentation
- Figure 16: Market Estimate: BT Medical-related Sector Modules (Mil. Units)
- Figure 17: Market Estimate: BT Medical-related Sector Modules Sales ($M)
- Figure 18: ZigBee Channels
- Figure 19: ZigBee Protocol Stack
- Figure 20: Applications
- Figure 21: Estimate: ZigBee Modules Market Worldwide ($M)
- Figure 22: Estimate: ZigBee Modules Market Worldwide (M Units)
- Figure 23: ZigBee Market Segmentation (2009)
- Figure 24: ZigBee Market Segmentation (2013)
- Figure 25: Market Estimate: ZigBee PHHC Equipment sales ($M)
- Figure 26: Continua Choices
