Multisensor data fusion and decision support in wireless body sensor networks

Abstract

Maintaining and improving the quality of life in ageing populations is a necessity. Hence, distant patient monitoring is a solution providing constant surveillance of vital signs and the detection of emergencies when they occur. In the past few years, wireless body sensor networks (WBSNs) emerged as a low cost solution for healthcare applications. In WBSNs, biosensors collect periodically physiological measures and send them to the coordinator where the data fusion process takes place. However, processing the huge amount of data captured by the limited lifetime biosensors and taking the right decisions when there is an emergency are major challenges in WBSNs. In this paper, we introduce a data fusion model using a decision matrix, an early warning score system and fuzzy set theory. We propose an algorithm at the coordinator level of the WBSN, aiming to take the appropriate decision when an emergency is detected.