Medical system with self-healing wireless network of sensors

Abstract

A wireless sensor device for wireless transmission of sensed medical data to a medical monitoring and/or intervention device. The sensor device has a sensor element for sensing a physical parameter related to a body of a living person or animal. A wireless RF transmitter and receiver serves to transmit data packets with the sensed physical parameter, and to also receive data packets, in accordance with a TDMA based network protocol. A processor system controls operation of the wireless RF transmitter and receiver, including that the sensor device can operate as wireless RF synchronization master or slave, and the sensor device can negotiate according to a deterministic negotiation algorithm to appoint one of a plurality of wireless RF devices connected to the TDMA based network as wireless RF synchronization master, if it is detected that no master is available. This allows a self-healing network, since one of a number of slave devices present in the network session can be appointed as a new master, thus even though the master device becomes out of range or is switched off. This provides a reliable and low latency wireless RF network for medical system, e.g. for a Continuous Positive Air Pressure device (CPAP) which can use sensed data from one or more sensor device to control its air blower to provide an appropriate air pressure.