BAN Applications
In order to determine the QoS that must be provided for medical applications in a Body Area Network, the IEEE 802.15.6 analysed the network requirements of a range of applications and created a BAN Application Matrix. The table below uses that analysis to further categorise those requirements into broad categories as below :
- Data Date - low (<1kbps), medium (1kbps-1Mbps), high (1-10Mbps)
- Lifetime - low (<1 month), medium (1-5 years) high (5-10 years)
- Reliability (in terms of packet loss)- low (>1%), medium (<1%), high (0%)
Other network parameters to be considered include latency, jitter, traffic type, flow direction.
This table includes both consumer and medical applications. Medical applications could use wireless communications in hospitals, but also for extending the use of remote patient monitoring (often by specific medical service companies). Such systems in use have been seen to reduce the amount of hospital visits and wireless communications should improve this further with continuous monitoring and aloowing greater patient mobility.
| Application | Data Rate | Lifetime | Reliability |
| EEG | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| ECG | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| EMG | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Vital Signs | Medium | Low | High |
| Temperature | Low | Medium/High | Medium |
| Respiration monitor | Low | Medium | High |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Low | Medium | High |
| Pulse Oximeter SpO2 wearable | Low | Medium | High |
| Blood pressure monitor (wearable) | Low | Medium | High |
| pH monitor (wearable) | Low | Medium | High |
| Glucose Sensor | Low | Medium | High |
| Hearing Aid | Medium | Low | High |
| Muscle Tension Monitor | Low/Medium | Medium | High |
| Muscle Stimulation | Low/Medium | Medium | High |
| Weighing Scale | Low | Medium | High |
| Fall Detection | Low | Medium | High |
| Athletes Training | Low/Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Glucose sensor (implant) | Low | Medium | High |
| Cardiac arrhythmia (implant) | Low | Low | High |
| Brain liquid pressure sensor (implant) | Low | Medium | High |
| Endoscope capsule camera (swallow-able) | High | Low | Medium |
| Drug delivery | Low | Medium | High |
| Cortical stimulator | Low | Medium | High |
| Visual Stimulator | Medium/High | Medium | High |
| Audio Stimulator | Medium/High | Medium | High |
| Pacemaker | Low | Low | High |
| Implantable actuator | Low | Medium | High |
| Insulin pump | Low | Medium | High |
| Retina implant | Low | Medium | High |
| Video Streaming | High | Medium/High | Low/Medium |
| Audio Streaming | Medium | Medium/High | Low/Medium |
| Voice Communications | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Music for headsets | High | Low | Medium |
| Data File transfers | High | Medium | Low/Medium |
| Gaming Applications | Medium/High | Low | Medium/High |
| Social Networking | Low/Medium | High | Low |
| Emergency Non-medical | Low |
