3.5G Based Mobile Remote Monitoring System
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30th Annual International IEEE EMBS Conference Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, August 20-24, 2008 3.5G Based Mobile Remote Monitoring System Aman Bajracharya, Timothy J. Gale, Clive R. Stack and Paul Turner Abstract —Low bandwidth has long been a reason for the called BeyondG and NextG. It is based on a High Speed unsuitability of wireless internet in telemedicine. However with Packet Access (HSPA) network which consists of HSDPA the advent of extended third generation wireless as an (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) for downlink and economically accessible high speed network, more opportunities HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) for uplink, are being created in this area of telemedicine. This paper uplink being slower than downlink. 4G, e.g. Orthogonal explores the opportunity created by the latest wireless broadband technology for remote monitoring of patients in the Frequency and Code Division Multiplexing (OFCDM), is the home. future generation of wireless network that boasts potential speeds of up to 100Mbps [7]. This ever-developing I. INTRODUCTION technology has to be kept in mind when designing a HEN this project was started in 2007, 3.5 G (extended telemedicine system so that the design does not become W third generation) wireless technology had just begun obsolete before the end of the depreciation cycle [8]. in Hobart, where this research is being conducted. This paper Our research focuses on use of a 3.5G based system for explores the opportunities created by the availability of this home monitoring and control of drug consumption in high speed wireless broadband network in the specific patients such as those on narcotic replacement medication. application of monitoring patients The research work has three parts: If While civilian use of telemedicine began following the 1. Define the requirements for monitoring and control 1985 earthquake in Mexico City [1], one of the first records and identify the limitations of the extended third-generation of wireless communication in telemedicine was the use of a mobile network in this application. GSM (second Generation) cellular network [2] to transmit an 2. Design and implement hardware and software for a electrocardiogram (ECG) from a patient in 2001. Since then Mobile Remote Monitoring System (MRMS) capable of there have been a number of developments related to monitoring patients through audio and video and controlling improving the speed and capacity of networks. The main remote assessment and medication dispensing devices wireless technologies have been GPRS (2.5G), satellite and through command signals based on extended 3G. wireless LAN [3]. The typical speed of 2G system is 9.6 3. Test the MRMS firstly in the laboratory and then in a Kbps[4]. However the evolution of mobile controlled external environment. telecommunication systems from second generation (2G) to 2.5G (iDEN 64 Kbps, GPRS 171 Kbps, EDGE 384 Kbps) II. MOBILE REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM (MRMS) and 3G (W-CDMA, CDMA2000, TD-CDMA) systems have The MRMS is designed to facilitate remotely monitored provided faster data transfer rates but these rates are still not dosing of medication at home and to prevent medication fast enough for many telehealth applications. Most of the diversion. It will allow patients to be dosed at their applications [3] of GSM have been in telecardiology (ECG convenience without disrupting normal daily activities such monitoring [5]), remote monitoring and emergency as work, family commitments, travel, etc, while maintaining telemedicine. Satellite communication [6] is another wireless medication security. It consists of a dedicated server and at communication medium, which despite having high least one Client (Patient) side computer linked via cable or operation costs, has the advantage of world wide coverage wireless broadband internet (extended G). A prominent feature of the system is its portability, so there is no location and a variety of data transfer speeds from 10 Kbps to a high restriction. The system is designed to replicate the dosing speed data rate of 100 Kbps. conditions of a patient being dosed under the supervision of The latest technology in use in Australia is 3.5G, also a clinician. A. System Architecture A. Bajracharya is with the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia 7005 (phone: +61 3 6226 7280; fax: +61 3 6226 7247; The architecture of the system (Fig.1) is based on a client- e-mail: [email protected]). server model. The software is developed in National T. J. Gale, is with the School of Engineering, University of Tasmania, Instruments’ LabVIEW on a Windows XP operating system. Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia (e-mail [email protected]). C. R. Stack, is with the School of Engineering, University of Tasmania, It also uses NI Vision Acquisition and NI Vision SandyBay, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia ( e-mail: Development tools. [email protected]). P. Turner, is with the School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia (e-mail [email protected]). 978-1-4244-1815-2/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE. 783 Authorized licensed use limited to: IEEE Xplore. Downloaded on November 24, 2008 at 21:31 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply. Webcam 1 Webcam Client Wired Webcam 2 Laptop HSPA Internet Server PC Headset Headset Wireless Modem Wireless Staff Side Patient Side Fig. 1. An overview of the remote monitoring system The Patient has two alternative wireless modems to program through a password. The program (Fig. 2) sends choose from – a request to the Server to start the session. The authorized 1) Telstra Turbo 7 Series Mobile Broadband Modem user at the Server end accepts the request if the supplied (gives a 10.XX private address). user information is correct. A two way interactive audio, 2) Bigpond 7.2 Mobile Card (gives a public address). video communication program starts where the Patient can The program accommodates both types of Wireless see the Staff and the Staff can see the Patient from two modem providing the user with flexibility of choosing the alternative cameras. Multiple cameras are used to assist appropriate modem based on network availability and Staff in visual assessment of the Patient and for general cost. monitoring. 1) The Client side comprises a laptop, a wireless modem, two webcams and a headset with a microphone. Patient log-in Staff The Client has the following functions running on parallel Client side Server side threads. a. Video communication : This function captures images from the webcams as well as receives images from Authentication Server Connection & Authentication the Server and plays them. One of the two webcams (depending on the selection made by the Server) captures the images. b. Audio communication : This function captures Connection Established mono audio at 11025 HZ at 8 bits per sample for 743 ms. Both the video and audio data are sent to the Server by User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Webcam on Audio On 2) The Server side comprises a computer, USB webcam and a headset with a microphone. It is connected to the internet by broadband internet with a static IP. The Visual Assessment Server has control of the Client (e.g. which webcam to use). The Server has the following functions. a. Video communication : Unlike the Client, there is Appropriate Medication Delivery only one webcam at the Server. b. Audio Communication : Audio has the same specification as for the Client. Both the video and audio Data Stored send data to Client by TCP or UDP. c. Control Signal : This function allows the user to Fig. 2. Mobile Remote Monitoring System select between the alternative webcams at the remote end. Operation Flowchart The VI server feature of LabVIEW is used for this. It is a feature in LabVIEW that allows one to make calls to The Client sends images and audio to the Server which LabVIEW and Virtual Instruments (VIs) from a remote has a fixed IP using UDP. UDP, which is also termed computer. The VI server needs to know the Client’s IP Unreliable Data Protocol since it doesn’t guarantee the number. However if the Client has virtual IP then the delivery of packets, is, however, suitable for sending software switches to a TCP based thread that uses text video images since loss of few packets is not as important data to switch between the webcams. as timely delivery of the latest images. UDP is faster than TCP as UDP does not wait for connection to establish and B. System Methodology has less overhead. The MRMS comprises two parties – the Staff (Server side) and the Patient (Client side). The patient enters the 784 Authorized licensed use limited to: IEEE Xplore. Downloaded on November 24, 2008 at 21:31 from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply. The Client (depending on which wireless modem it is and compression ratio were found. Audio quality was also using) may have public IP or virtual IP. UDP needs to measured by subjective. know the IP address of the end computer to send data. If the Client has a private IP, the Server sends image and IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION audio data by TCP connection; otherwise it sends the data The optimum range of frame rate for 640 x 480 was by UDP as shown in Fig. 3. around 6 to 10 fps whereas for 352 x 480 the optimum Congestion control is an important issue which has to rate was 10 to 20 fps in our experiment. 10 fps gave a be implemented at the application layer when sending data satisfactory video output. After subjective assessment we by UDP. In every image the software on each side selected 352 x 288 as the optimal resolution because it appends four bytes; the first two byte being the frame had a faster frame rate and satisfactory quality.