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Recently, using a wireless technology to transmit physiological signals, such as electrocardiogram (ECG), for a home tele-care system has received great attention. Although wireless transmission can provide the mobility advantage, it has to cope with the potential problem in limited bandwidth and induced interference. In this study, we propose an integration design in which a state-of-the-art compression algorithm called SPIHT (set partitioning in hierarchical trees) is combined with an unequal error protection scheme, to solve the problem for the ECG signals transmitted in Bluetooth packets. In this design, part of the SPIHT bit stream behaves like a fragile variable length code and needs a stronger protection with the forward error correction (FEC) code; the rest of the bit stream is lightly protected by the code. The simulation results show that the 2/3-rate FEC code in DM packets works effectively without the proposed scheme when the interference is fairly small. However, with the proposed scheme, the quality of received ECG signals is usually much better than that without the scheme when stronger interferences from fading channels and wireless LAN are encountered in an indoor environment. Consequently, the important features of an ECG waveform, such as P wave, QRS complex, and T wave, could be well preserved at a receiver site with clinically acceptable reconstruction quality. In addition, the data compression method in the proposed scheme can save total transmission power and time, and therefore reduce its potential interferences to other wireless devices.

A light and portable-type wireless physiological signal retrieving system has always been a medical personnel's dream. To fulfill this dream, this paper investigates a feasible method to create a wireless-type physiological signal measuring system using a PDA and the bluetooth technology. The proposed system will reduce the service costs and raise the service efficiency for current medical care systems. The waveforms and data of physiological signals, such as electrocardiograms (ECGs), phonocardiograms (PCGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs), body temperatures, and so forth, are always the vital references for medical doctors to diagnose the patients' body condition. The traditional physiological signal measuring instruments or devices possess some shortcomings, such as high prices, bulky dimensions, ill-portability and excessive connection cables. In contrast, the proposed wireless-type physiological signal measuring system, being able to get rid of said shortcomings, holds apparent advantages in service costs and service efficiency and, hence, shall be the trend for the future. This study has completed some tests in ECG, PCG, and body temperature measurements. The proposed prototype system has successfully using the bluetooth technology to invisibly transmit and receive physical signals through the air.