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Wearable Health Monitoring Using Human Body Communication

Summary

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a wearable hub for health monitoring using HBC. The health monitoring device and system are built using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensors and components that provide reliable connectivity; superior energy efficiency (more than 8X) over Bluetooth; and significant power efficiency, showing its advantage over the wireless system. This technology collects data from physiological sensors and transmits it through hubs worn on the body. In addition, data can be uploaded via hubs through human-machine interaction, i.e. Human-Internet, to an HBC capable machine.

Technology Benefits

Energy efficientDynamicSecureReliable connection

Technology Application

Human intranet/internetInformation exchangeHealth monitoring

Detailed Technology Description

Shreyas SenSensing and Communication (SPARC) Research LabPurdue Electrical and Computer Engineering

Countries

United States

Application No.

None

*Abstract

*Background

The evolution of computing has led to widespread growth of wearable smart devices (fitness trackers, smartphones, apple watch, pressure sensors, etc.); the signals communicating with each other on the person form a network known as Body Area Network (BAN) or Human-Internet, and are typically connected via Bluetooth. However, Human Body Communication (HBC) has recently emerged as an energy-efficient and secure alternative that uses the human body as a communication medium. While there is a usable network encompassing a single person, there was no method for expanding this personalized network any further until researchers at Purdue University developed a secure human-internet device using dynamic human communication. The wearable device is capable of communicating human-human or human-machine interactions to create dynamic HBC channels for information exchange during actions like handshaking, subsequently expanding the network to usable Human-Internet. Beyond this, there is need of more applications regarding Human-Internet.

*IP Issue Date

None

*IP Type

Provisional

*Stage of Development

Process Validation in Lab

*Web Links

Purdue Office of Technology CommercializationPurdueInnovation and EntrepreneurshipShreyas SenSensing and Communication (SPARC) Research LabPurdue Electrical and Computer Engineering

Country/Region

USA