Informatics in Medicine Unlocked (Jan 2021)
Healthcare monitoring of mountaineers by low power Wireless Sensor Networks
Abstract
Mountains have attracted many enthusiasts and trekkers for a long time to conquer high peaks or explore picturesque terrain. A team of mountaineers carries the necessary equipment for climbing steep slopes and steering through rugged terrain. The movements are monitored through the main control centres. The reporting mechanism is periodic on a need basis or at the end of the day’s summary reporting. The team members are travelling under the threat of avalanches and victims get buried inside the snow-mass in the event of accidents. In such accidents, 65% of fatalities happen due to asphyxia, 29% due to trauma, and balance due to hypothermia, drowning and primary cardiac arrest. Commercially available gadgets and previously developed electronic systems are designed for normal habitation. They use WiFi services to transmit health parameters on IoT platforms. Users should be conscious and self-aware to monitor and communicate health parameters, whereas the buried victims suffer from trauma and remain immobile/ unconscious. The present paper aims at addressing the healthcare issues of mountaineers while trekking in normal conditions as well as in a buried scenario without the need for WiFi connectivity. The proposed electronic system uses low power consuming chips that sustain low temperatures up to -40 °C. The system monitors oxygen level, heart rate, body temperature, etc., and disseminates the compiled data to a central control station by employing technological advancements in Wireless Sensor Networks, LoRa, and satellite modems. In the event of accidental burial of victims, the electronic system is equipped with a special feature to automatically activate Op-Mode-5 and transmit data at optimum power to the master node. The system helps in the regular assessment of the health conditions of mountaineers so that search and rescue operations can be carried out in time for saving precious lives.
