An Integrated Wireless Communication Platform for End-to-End and Automatic Wireless Vital Sign Capture Using Personal Smart Mobile Devices

Abstract

In recent years, in addition to fast development and maturity of information and communication technology, personal smart mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, phablets, tablets) have been becoming more and more popular. According to statistics in 2013, more than 50% of mobile consumers in United States and Canada have smartphones [1]. This number keeps increasing due to the fact that smartphones have been equipped with more powerful microprocessors that are capable of supporting more advanced operating systems and applications, larger and higher-resolution touch displays, higher capacity batteries, etc., yet at more affordable prices. Therefore, these devices are expected to have a wider adoption in electronic healthcare (eHealth). They can be integrated into patient interactions, electronic health record (EHR), and many other aspects of medicine. In other words, mobile-health (mHealth) has emerged as an important segment of eHealth. By definition, it is the delivery of healthcare services via mobile communication devices.