The aim of the project is to develop novel design strategies for seamless deployment of mobile patient monitoring systems. We will investigate low cost, low power and robust communication solutions, which are required to provide reliable, stable, and uninterrupted services in different patient networks and systems. We will define the term quality of services for patient confined networks, devices, and systems. The framework shall encapsulate end-to-end optimization strategies and secure transmission of patient sensitive data. We will develop: a framework based on MPEG-21 for end-to-end optimization and presentation of multimedia sensor data, design strategies for multi-functional miniaturized sensor array, algorithms for distributed data processing, coding and modulation, robust short range communication solutions, secure communication of patient data and framework for authentication, context aware processing of data and user interface.

NR's contribution

NR's researchers work on the security and authentication platform for wireless patient monitoring, systems and biomedical sensor networks. The contribution includes a threat assessment of these systems, the development of mechanisms to support context changes while patients are treated, and an operational model for the use of biomedical sensors in emergency cases. We also develop a framework to use MPEG-21 (ISO/IEC 21000) to define medical digital items that are suited to support the security goals for patient monitoring systems.

Benefit for customers

The synergy of expertise within the fields of privacy and security, as well as interdisciplinary work in multimedia and data networking is necessary to develop the frameworks. Medical data are by its nature complex multimedia-data.

Benefit for society

The use of wireless biomedical sensor networks in health care will remove the need for cables. Thus, medical personnel will have better access to data, while patients will be more mobile. Biomedical sensor networks have applications in hospitals, home care, and ambulance scenarios. The legislation requires the patient data do remain private, available and consistent. Our analysis of potential threats, and the frameworks developed in the project will contribute to deploy biomedical sensors in a secure way.

Project results (preliminary)

A threat analysis of wireless patient monitoring systems and its components was published. Especially focus was on biomedical sensor networks. On the basis of this threat analysis we developed a framework for the use of MPEG-21 in patient monitoring systems. We proposed an architecture that makes it possible to use MPEG-21 in the context of biomedical sensors with the definition of lightweight medical digital items. The architecture is currently being implemented in a distributed BSN testbed consisting of personal computers that emulate the BSN functionalities. To implement the security-related features we use the relevant parts of the MPEG-21 reference software. The simulation will provide results on the complexity of the BSN emulated software, and the data overhead introduced by the security features. The project will perform an analysis of the simulation results, evaluate the viability of an implementation on sensor nodes, and compare them with previously reported results in the literature.
 

Publication that summarises project results (external link)