Title :
Galvanical Coupling for Data Transmission through the Human Body
Author :
Wegmueller, Marc Simon ; Oberle, Michael ; Felber, Norbert ; Kuster, Niels ; Fichtner, Wolfgang
Author_Institution :
Integrated Syst. Lab., Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technol., Zurich
Abstract :
Using the human body as a transmission medium for electrical signals becomes a novel data communication technique in biomedical monitoring systems. Galvanical coupling is a promising approach for wireless intra-body data transmission between sensors. In this work, special attention is given to the coupling of the current into the human body. Safety requirements have to be fulfilled and optimal signal coupling is requested. Therefore, different electrodes are compared. A test system offers up to 1 mA contact current modulated in the frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 MHz. The injected current is 20 times below the maximum allowed contact current and more than 50 times below nerve stimulation. Such a low-current approach enables data communication that is more energy-saving than other wireless technologies
Keywords :
biomedical communication; biomedical electrodes; biomedical measurement; data communication; medical signal processing; patient monitoring; 0.010 to 1 MHz; biomedical monitoring systems; contact current; data communication; data transmission; electrical signals; galvanical coupling; human body; nerve stimulation; optimal signal coupling; wireless intra-body communication; Biomedical electrodes; Biomedical monitoring; Biosensors; Couplings; Data communication; Galvanizing; Humans; Safety; System testing; Wireless sensor networks; Intra-body communication; galvanic coupling;
Conference_Titel :
Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, 2006. IMTC 2006. Proceedings of the IEEE
Conference_Location :
Sorrento
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-9359-7
Electronic_ISBN :
1091-5281
DOI :
10.1109/IMTC.2006.328197
