Biotelemetry
Biotelemetry (or Medical Telemetry) involves the application of telemetry in the medical field to remotely monitor various vital signs of ambulatory patients.
Application
The most common usage for biotelemetry is in dedicated cardiac care telemetry units or step-down units in hospitals. Although virtually any physiological signal could be transmitted, application is typically limited to cardiac monitoring and SpO2.
Components of a biotelemetry system
A typical biotelemetry system comprises:
History
Some of the first uses of biotelemetry systems date to the early space race, where physiological signals obtained from animals or human passengers were transmitted back to Earth for analysis (the name of the medical device manufacturer Spacelabs Healthcare is a reflection of their start in 1958 developing biotelemetry systems for the early U.S. space program).
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