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Wireless Sensor Network for Intra-Venous Fluid Level Indicator Application

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks use small, low-cost embedded devices for a wide range of applications such as industrial data monitoring and controlling, asset monitoring and tracking, remote metering, automotive networks, wireless data acquisition and processing and home automation. This paper aims to implement a low cost, low power wireless sensor network application inside the hospital premises. More specifically, an automated system will be designed to detect the level of the Intra-Venous fluid and to send this critical data over a wireless transmitter. The data sent will be displayed in a dashboard placed at a nurse station. This state-of-the-art experiment can also be used in the Computer Engineering Technology curriculum for senior level students in the Embedded Systems or Wireless Communication courses. The prerequisites to understand this experiment include wireless sensor networks application classes, popular wireless standards, hardware design with RF transceiver modules, embedded controller and sensor circuits, and embedded software for microcontroller programming.

Introduction

Sensor based technology has invaded medical devices to replace thousands of wires connected to these devices found in hospitals. This technology has the capability of providing reliability with enhanced mobility. In today’s hospital scenario, there are more patients but not enough nurses. In these cases, the nurse cannot keep the medical records about every patient. A simple case may be noting the level of the Intra-Venous fluid levels of the patient. The Intra-Venous fluid data is essential to be noted because if the bottle gets fully drained, air enters the tube and in turn into the vein, which may prove disastrous to the patient. Although this checking can be done manually, it is tedious and prone to human errors. So automating this system might prove really helpful. A system can be designed such that if the Intra-Venous fluid reaches a critical level, an alarm like signal is sent to the nurse indicating the patient name and the room number. When this is done, the nurse can easily identify the room and go there directly to change the bottle rather than keep checking every room to notice if the fluid has reached the critical level. This requires the use of wireless sensor networks.

The sensor network application classes can be classified into three categories including data collection, security monitoring, and sensor node tracking. The majority of wireless sensor network deployments will fall into one of these class templates. Hybrid network systems use all three templates and include applications such as vehicle monitoring and/or tracking system. There are at least four types of sensors that can be used for this project. They consist of Ultrasonic Sensor, Capacitive Sensor, Load cell sensor, and Infrared Sensor. Low cost ultrasonic sensor does not differentiate between the bottle surface and the water level. Thus detection becomes very difficult. Better sensitivity ultrasonic sensors cost around $500. In capacitive sensors, reference capacitor values

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Rajaravivarma, V. (2010, June), Wireless Sensor Network For Intra Venous Fluid Level Indicator Application Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16519