SICE Annual Conference in Fukui, August 4-6,2003

Fukui University, Japan

Wireless Data Transmission System by FM

for Health Monitoring
Keita KOBAYASHI', Takayuki ISHIKAWA', Kajirou WATANABE3
Hisanori ANDOU4, Tetsuo NAKAMURA5, Yasuhiro FUJII'
1-4 HOSE1 University , 3-7-2 Kajinocyou Koganei Tokyo 184-8584 , Japan
5-6 JEPICO CORP. 2-7-INisisinjyuju sinjyukuku Tokyo 163-0729, Japan
keita@wtnh.k.hosei.x.jp

Abstract: This paper describes a novel data transmission system for the air-cushion type biornedi-
cal measurement system. Conversational data transmission via coaxial cable sometimes intimidates
the patients; the electric cable near the bed is not desirable for medical doctors and nurses, ei-
ther. To solve this problem, we developed an FhI transmission system that is battery driven and
transmits signals from DC t o several kHz .
Keywords: biomedical measurement system, communication system, F h l transmission

1. Introduction

The air-cushion type biomedical measurement system

call measure heartbeat , respiration, snoring, and body
motionl'l. In the conventional system, the biwsignal is
transmitted to the processor via cable, which presents
problems for patients but and medical staff alike.
Here we improve the conventional system by replac-
ing the coaxial cable with a radio transmission system
that is battery driven. The frequency range for b i o
measurements is very low in comparison with that for
audio signals. Few stable wireless transmission s y s t e m
have been implemented; those that have been intro-
duced were very expensive, with high energy consump
tion rates for long-term battery use. A stable, simple Figure 1: The data-transmission system by radio
and low-energy wireless transmission system t o send sig-
nals from DC t o several kHz is described below.
FA1 transmitter works well in the frequency range of
20Hz-20kHz. On the other hand, the biwdata measured
by the air-cushion sensors includes very low frequency
2. Measurement of bio-data components such as 0.4Hz for respiration and 1.OHz for
heartbeat. Further the biwdata are measured over long-
The signal to he transmitted by the proposed Fh'l wire- term intervals such as 6 months. Thus, the FhI trans-
less transmitter is measured hy a pneumatic sensing sys- mitter must transmit in the very low frequency range
tem. In the pneumatic system, the air cushion is laid and must be very low-powered.
under a futon as shown in Fig.1 and the pressure signal
in the air cushion is converted into voltage by an ultra-
sensitive pressure sensor. The signal transmitted by the 4. Problems description
Fhl IS received by B receiver, processed by circuits and
preserved in a PC.
In developing an FRI transmitter for bio-data, the re-
sulting system must therefore satisfy the following spec-
ifications:
3. Conventional radio technique
(Sl) The circuit can transmit signals with very low fre-
In conventional FRI transmission, signals less than 50Hz
quency, from O.1Hz to several liHz
are cut off to eliminate low-frequency noise such as drift.
This high pass filtering simplifies the circuit designs be-
cause the greatest obstacles to maintaining stability are (52) The circuit must be robust to changes in tempera-
lowfrequency thermal drift noises. The conventional ture. i.e., low frequency noise such as thermal drift

2022 Y400 0 2003 SICE

PR0001/03/0000-0910

Authorized licensed use limited to: Consortium - Algeria (CERIST). Downloaded on February 14,2024 at 07:18:39 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 must be minimized.

(Sn) The circuit must be battery driven, and it must be

very low powered.

The problem considered in this paper is how to develop

an FM transmission circuit t o satisfy the above three
specifications.

5. FM circuit for bio-data trans-

mitter
Fig. 2 shows the proposed circuit solving the three spec-
ifications (Sl), (S2) and (S3) above. In order to sat-
isfy specification (Sl), we develop a DC-connected Fhl
transmitter. The DC-connected circuit newly includes
low frequency noise mainly due to the changes in tem-
perature. To solve the thermal drift, or specification
(S2), circuit elements were selected that are robust to
changes in temperature; i.e., a new ceramic oscillator
was selected instead of an LC oscillator. A temperature
compensation circuit was also employed. In order to
solve the problem associated with specification (S3), a
new circuit by discrete elements was designed in place of
LSI and/or IC circuits: with this new circuit, the power
is reduced to one-tenth or one-hundredth.
Figure 3 Circuit diagram of the LC oscillation
In the conventional circuit the impact of 1‘Cchange is
0.017MHz, which meam that if the temperature changes
6 C , the frequency changes from one broadcasting sta-
tion t o next. Table 2 shows the temperature charac-
teristics for the novel circuits. Their very low ratio of
change is 0.00068hIHz/’C, promising stable transmis-
sion of very low frequency components in the tempera-
ture range of -15 “C t o 85 “c. A sine wave of O.1Hz gen-
erated hy an oscillator was transmitted. Fig. 4 shows
both the transmitting wave and the receiving wave. Sig-
nal levels were different but the signal was effectively
transmitted with a high S/N ratio.

Table 1: Heat run test result

Temperature(%) I Frequency(H2)
I F1T; AB

Figure 2; Circuit diagram with the ceramic oscillation

6.2 Transmission of the bio-data

6. Experiments
Heartbeat and respiration detected by the air cushion
6’1 the new circuit with
Of
sensor were transmitted and received. Fig. 4 shows
the conversational circuit the results when the wireless transmission distance was
1.5m. Similar results were obtained even at a distance of
Fig. 3 shows an example of a widely-used conventional Table 3 the consumed by the circuit
transmission circuit of the LC oscillation type. The sub- and Sensor, ~h~ total reauired
.. were 1 . ~ 5 ~ A
stantial difference between the new circuit and the con- with ~ 3vbattery. that 2 batteries
ventional one is in temperature characteristics. Table 1 can the SenSoI and FA,^ transmission for 4667
shows the changes in the carrier frequency with respect hours, oI 194 days,
to changes in temperature for the conventional circuit.

2023

Authorized licensed use limited to: Consortium - Algeria (CERIST). Downloaded on February 14,2024 at 07:18:39 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 transmitted signal is not at all degraded.
Table 2: Heat run test result

7. Demonstrations
2

7.1 Experiments 0 2 4 6 I 10 12 ib 16 1% 19
flrr4I
The ability of the developed system t o transmit very low (a)Fhf transmission
frequency signals was confirmed. A transmitter and re-
ceiver 15m apart could effectively transmit and receive
the signal of a O.1Hz sine wave generated by the oscil-
lator.

7.2 Result
It was confirmed that information at a frequency of
O.1Hz could be effectively transmitted (Fig.4).

0 2 L 6 I 10 b2 I4 tb 18 10
1i.rb)

(b)Cable transmission

Figure 5: Bio-signal transmitted by the proposed circuit

The measured current in transmitting the signal

is listed in Table 3. The average sensor current
was 0.45mA and the average current required to Fh.1-
transmit the signal was l.lmA, thus total current re-
quired was 1.55mA. This satisfies the specification (53).

Figure 4 Transmission (one step) and reception (two

steps)
Sencor Input Circuit 0.45mA
& Sensor Detection Curcuit
Sext, a signal measured by the actual bio,
measurement system was transmitted (Fig.5). The u p Division Power Consumption I
per two signals are the heartbeat and respiration, re- Total Power Comsumption I 1.55mA
spectively, transmitted by the proposed FM trausmu-
tation circuit at a distance of 5m. The lower two sig-
nals are those detected via the co,axial cables. The Fhl

2024

Authorized licensed use limited to: Consortium - Algeria (CERIST). Downloaded on February 14,2024 at 07:18:39 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 8. Conclusions

This paper describes the development of .a novel FhI

wireless transmission circuit for sending bio-signals, in-
cluding signals with frequencies as low as O.1Hz. The
main technological innovation is the development of a
type of circuit that is robust to low frequency noise such
as thermal drift and one with minimal ampere require-
ments. Experiments carried out in the proposed appli-
cation setting demonstrated the validity of the circuit.
This circuit can be used not only for bio-measurement
but also for the accurate measurement of signals from
DC to several kHz.

References
[l] K.Watanabe and H.Watanahe and Y.hIatsui and
T.Watanabe,Nursing support system at home,
IblEKO World Congress XVI,(ZOOO).

2025

Authorized licensed use limited to: Consortium - Algeria (CERIST). Downloaded on February 14,2024 at 07:18:39 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.