Special Issue – Body Sensor Networks
Nitish Thakor, Editor-In-Chief
This Issue features articles on wearable wireless Body Sensor Networks. With the advent of miniaturized sensors for monitoring physiological signals there is an increasing need for efficient, secure networks to integrate sensor data into a mobile network to allow continuous, remote monitoring of patients. IEEE Standards play a key role in these networks.
The IEEE 802.15.6™-2012 standard for Body Area Networks (aka BSN) is optimized to serve the wireless communications needs for ultra-low power devices operating either inside or around the human body. Art Astrin, chair of the IEEE 802.15.6 Task Group introduces the goals of this standard.
Daniel W. Bliss, of ASU, provides a system-level discussion of BSNs and their applications. He provides an example of the importance of bioengineers being intimately aware of the end user situation as they develop specific BSNs.
Giancarlo Fortino, of the University of Calabria, presents SPINE, an open-source framework for BSNs. SPINE has been applied in several BSNs. Its goal is to support development of efficient BSN Systems.
Benny Lo, of the Imperial College of London and the ESPRIT Programme, highlights the standards and regulatory requirements on translating BSN research projects to clinical applications.