The Body Area Network

Wireless

For all the talk of Municipal Area Networks (MANs), Local Area Networks (LANs) and Personal Area Networks (PANs), now it’s time to go one step even more local. Zarlink Semiconductor is apparently working on chips to create “in-body antennas” for medical equipment. In other words, it’s time for the Body Area Networks (BANs?). The idea is to use the antennas to work with devices like pacemakers and hearing aids. They’ll work of spectrum that has been reserved for medical implants, and can broadcast approximately 10 feet to monitoring equipment a doctor can use. As you might imagine, there are some unique and demanding challenges for a company working on wireless devices that will live inside someone’s body, so it may take a little while for these to become more common. However, at least it doesn’t look like there will be a standards battle over this one.