Republic of Iraq

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

University of Kerbala
College of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Design a Wireless Nurse Call System to

Manage the COVID-19 pandemic
A project
Submitted to the Department of Electrical and Electronic
Engineering, University of Kerbala in a Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering

By
Mohsin Abdul Ameer Mohsin Murtadaa Takleef Bkheet

Supervised by

Asst. Lect. Uday A. Alhamdany

Asst. Lect. Bilal Zuhair Ahmed

June 2022
 ‫ض ًّرا ِإاَّل َما َشا َء هَّللا ُ(‬ ‫)قُ ْل اَل َأمْ لِ ُ‬
‫ك لِ َن ْف ِسي َن ْفعًا َواَل َ‬

‫االعراف‪[188] :‬‬
 Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Mr. Uday Abduljaleel Alhamdany and Mr.

Bilal Zuhair for the great supervising and guidance throw this project,
many thanks to our friends for their help to improve the project.
 Undertaking

This is to declare that the project entitled “Design a Wireless Nurse

Call System to manage the COVID-19 pandemic” is an original work done
by undersigned, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
“Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering” at Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Kerbala.
All the analysis, design and system development have been
accomplished by the undersigned. Moreover, this project has not been
submitted to any other college or university.

Mohsin Abdul Ameer Mohsin

Murtadaa Takleef Bkheet

 Abstract

In the last two years, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had
caused huge human infections and massive deaths over worldwide. Many
emergency hospitals were built to help patients with lake of medical
instruments. Time of treatment was a big challenge to manage the
emergency issue in order to minimize loss. Moreover, nurses have high
vulnerability to COVID-19, it is necessary to establish hospital-specific
protocols to reduce the effect of nurses’ flow based on enlarged of COVID-
19 patients. Patients must call assistance for normal or emergency needs
used in residential care facilities. Here, a design of wireless nurse call
system is discussed which is based on plug and play concept. The system is
developed by using low-cost components and open-source material,
Arduino and RF Module as a hardware while Processing language is used
to design the user interface program.
Nurse Call systems are very important for any medical center or
hospital, thus affecting indirectly the patient's life. The basic idea of this
project is to design and implement a complete wireless nurse calling
system in the hospital, displaying the patient room number on a display in
nurse’s room. Our proposed system implements a smart controller and
several switches using RF wireless technology to continuously monitor and
display the state of any room (patient’s room) medical help or assistance
needed, in order to provide fast and respectable medical service without
any human errors or medical assistance delay, which could occur at any
instant of time during system preparation or installation. Our system has
succeeded in monitoring up to 3 beds at the same time collecting real-time
data as a prototype.

I
 List of Contents

Abstract.............................................................................................................................I

List of Contents...............................................................................................................II

List of Abbreviations....................................................................................................IV

List of Figures.................................................................................................................V

List of Tables.................................................................................................................VI

Chapter One: Introduction.............................................................................................1

1.1 Overview.................................................................................................................1

1.2 Historic Background...............................................................................................3

1.3 The Importance of Nurse Call Systems..................................................................4

1.3.1 Improved Communication..............................................................................4

1.3.2 More Information Available to Nurses...........................................................4

1.3.3 Higher Patient Satisfaction..............................................................................4

1.4 Advantages of Nurse Call Systems.........................................................................5

1.4.1 Quicker Response............................................................................................5

1.4.2 Fewer Disturbances.........................................................................................5

1.4.3 Simplicity in Use.............................................................................................5

1.5 The Aim of Project.................................................................................................5

1.6 The Structure of Project..........................................................................................6

Chapter Two: Background and Theory.........................................................................7

2.1 Overview.................................................................................................................7

2.2 Hardware Components...........................................................................................7

2.2.1 Arduino Uno....................................................................................................7

2.2.2 433MHz RF Wireless Transmitter and Receiver............................................9

2.2.3 Types of Wires..............................................................................................13

2.2.4 Buzzer...........................................................................................................13

II
 2.2.5 LED Lighting................................................................................................14

2.2.6 Push Button Switch.......................................................................................15

2.2.6.1 Push Button Principle.....................................................................................15

2.2.7 Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)........................................................16

2.3 Software Platform.................................................................................................17

Chapter Three: The proposed work............................................................................19

3.1 Real Time Nurse Call System...............................................................................19

3.2 The Mechanism of the Proposed System..............................................................19

3.3 Circuit of Nurse Call System................................................................................21

3.3.1 The Transmitter (near patient or patient room unit)......................................21

3.3.2 The Receiver (near nurse or nurse unit)........................................................23

3.4 Summary...............................................................................................................25

Chapter Four: Experimental Results..........................................................................26

4.1 Overview...............................................................................................................26

4.2 The practical excrement of the nurse call system.................................................26

4.2.1 First Case Study............................................................................................27

4.2.2 Second Case Study........................................................................................28

4.2.3 Third Case Study...........................................................................................28

4.2.4 Fourth Case Study.........................................................................................29

Chapter Five: Conclusion and Future work...............................................................30

5.1 Conclusion............................................................................................................30

5.2 Future Work..........................................................................................................30

References........................................................................................................................A

III
 List of Abbreviations

Abbreviation Definition
ASK Amplitude Shift Keying
COVID 19 coronavirus disease 2019
ICSP In Circuit Serial Programming
IoT Internet of things
LCD Liquid-crystal display
LED Light-emitting diode
OLED Organic light-emitting diode
R Resistance
RF 433mhz Rf Wireless Transmitter and Receiver
SMS Short message service
SPI Serial Peripheral Interphase
TTL Transistor transistor logic
USB Universal Serial Bus

IV
 List of Figures
Fig. 1.1 WHO report [2]....................................................................................................1
Fig. 1.2 Arduino Uno.........................................................................................................7
Fig. 2.1 Examples 433Mhz RF transmitter and receiver...................................................9
Fig. 2.2 Examples 433MHz RF Transmitter...................................................................10
Fig. 2.3 Examples 433MHz RF Receiver Module..........................................................12
Fig. 2.4 Examples Types of Wires..................................................................................13
Fig. 2.5 Examples of Buzzer............................................................................................13
Fig. 2.6 Examples of LED Lighting................................................................................15
Fig. 2.7 Examples of Push Button...................................................................................15
Fig. 3.1 Flowchart............................................................................................................20
Fig. 3.2 The Nurse Call System Circuit (Patient Unit)....................................................22
Fig. 3.3 Patient unit.........................................................................................................23
Fig. 3.4 The Nurse Call System Circuit (Nurse Unit).....................................................24
Fig. 3.5 Nurse unit...........................................................................................................25
Fig. 4.1 Nurse Call System..............................................................................................27
Fig. 4.2 LED Displays room 1 bed 1...............................................................................28
Fig. 4.3 Displays room 1 bed 2........................................................................................28
Fig. 4.4 Displays room 1 bed 3........................................................................................29
Fig. 4.5 Displays all bed and room 1...............................................................................29

V
 List of Tables

Table 2.1 433MHz RF Transmitter Module....................................................................11

Table 2.2 433MHz RF Receiver Module........................................................................12

VI
Chapter One: Introduction 1

Chapter One: Introduction

ONE.1 OVERVIEW

Nurse call systems are frequently found in hospitals and care homes
and play an important role in alerting nurses and careers to the fact that
patients or residents need help. Whether it is staff or patients asking for
help in an emergency situation similar to recent circumstances when the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) be a pandemic. COVID-19 had
affected massive infections and deaths in the world.
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the major global issues
faced by health organizations. As of November 19, 2020, the total number
of people worldwide confirmed to have been infected with SARS-COV-2
is more than 56.4 million, while the total number of fatalities from the
coronavirus is more than million, thereby proving that COVID-19 cases are
surging worldwide [1].
In Iraq, from 3 January 2020 to, there have
been 2,328,264 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 25,219 deaths,
reported to WHO. As of 27 May 2022, a total of 18,353,783 vaccine
doses have been administered. The report was published mainly in World
Health Organization site as shown in Fig. 1.1 [2].

Fig. 1.1 WHO report [2]

Chapter One: Introduction 2

In fact, several temporary hospitals were constructed to treatment

patients without necessary instruments. Curing time was a challenge to
save patient’s life. Patients must call assistance for normal or emergency
needs used in residential care facilities. Nurse call systems can literally
offer a lifeline. And of course, such systems offer ongoing support in non-
urgent situations as well, enabling individuals to request assistance if they
have a particular requirement or need some extra support. Over time, nurse
call systems have evolved considerably. Their functionality has come on
leaps and bounds from their origins as straightforward buzzer call systems,
thanks to the evolution in the available technology. The range of benefits
they can now potentially deliver to both patients and staff are considerable.
It is vital that patients and residents have the reassurance of knowing they
can alert staff to a problem at any time of day or night. For the majority of
the time this will be related to basic care needs, or perhaps specific support
that’s required in relation to an ongoing health issue [1].
A wireless nurse call system is an advancement technology, this
enables patients to use them in such an easy and comfortable way,
receiving its medical assistance quickly. Since it does not need the usage of
any wires like old versions of nurse call systems, it becomes very simple
for hospital staff to deploy and use it within minutes. Developments in
nurse call system technologies allows them to be integrated with smart
digital devices. That enables nurses and cares to communicate instantly
with each other and patients and residents, as well as potentially providing
more rapid access to clinical data. These technologies can also facilitate
better centralized management and maintenance of the nurse call system
itself. If there is a communications point failure, the system can notify the
estate and facilities management team straight away, allowing them to
respond quickly and helping to reduce the risk of an undetected failure in
the system which could compromise patient care [1].
Chapter One: Introduction 3

ONE.2 HISTORIC BACKGROUND

The history of nurse call dates back to the mid-1800s. During the
Crimean War, Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern
nursing, realized patients needed a way to ring for nurses. She remembered
how the wealthy rang bells to summon servants in affluent homes, and
envisioned a similar concept for nurses and patients. In a letter to an
acquaintance, Nightingale wrote, “Without a system of this kind, a nurse is
converted into a pair of legs for running up and down the stairs [3].
This rudimentary system a hand-bell located at the patient’s bedside
was adequate for the patient wards where Nightingale served. But as
hospitals and healthcare facilities grew, the need for a more sophisticated
system became evident. 
By the 1980s, bells and buzzers were replaced with a central
processor unit and a light and sound notification system. This technological
advancement served hospitals well for a time nurses were able to indicate
which patients needed assistance by the dome light positioned above
patient room doors. Two-way audio systems also allowed nurses to
communicate directly with the patient to determine needs before rushing to
bedsides [3].
Today, nurse call systems are more advanced than ever before. A
technology that used to offer limited functionality is now a high-tech
communications platform that provides invaluable reporting tools and
analytics. Today’s advanced nurse call systems—referred to by Gartner as
“next-generation nurse call systems”—are changing the way nurses
communicate with one another and with patients. These next-generation
nurse call systems provide clinicians with tools they can use to improve
patient safety, drive better outcomes and enhance the patient experience—
tools such as real-time data and actionable insights to identify care trends
and address service recovery; alarm management tools to prevent alarm
Chapter One: Introduction 4

fatigue and desensitization; and care collaboration capabilities to improve

.rounding, nurse communication and confirm care delivery [3]

ONE.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF NURSE CALL SYSTEMS

One.3.1 Improved Communication

There is an increase in the quality of communication when

Nurse call systems get implemented. An advanced messaging system is
included, and this system automatically forwards messages to doctors and
nurses based on the patient’s condition and whether or not a doctor is
.needed [4]

One.3.2  More Information Available to Nurses

A text message or even audio directed to the nurse’s or doctor’s

device can tell them about the immediate nature of the call, such as “Code
Blue in Room 145.” Or “Fall Alert in Room 218”.  More information is
available when a nurse call system gets connected to heart monitors and
other medical equipment. These, in turn, inform nurses about critical acute
conditions such as patient arrhythmia or dangerous high fever [4].

One.3.3 Higher Patient Satisfaction

When patients get adequate, quick and efficient care, it makes them
comfortable, more relaxed, happy and in turn, it increases their recovery
rate. Nurse call system makes the above possible, nurse call system makes
the work environment more comfortable for doctors, nurses, and staff. A
lot of stress can be eliminated or reduced if a nurse call system gets
implemented [4].
Chapter One: Introduction 5

ONE.4 ADVANTAGES OF NURSE CALL SYSTEMS

One.4.1 Quicker Response

Perhaps the most obvious advantage, nurse call systems provide

patients with access to prompt and timely care. Especially if this is a
pressing necessity, you can believe that a healthcare professional will have
an accurate warning. Apart from this quick reaction, it makes the job more
enjoyable for the doctors, nurse, and staffs [5].

One.4.2 Fewer Disturbances

Nurse call systems also reduce the amount of disturbance the patient
can potentially cause. The naturally discrete nature of the process allows
minimal distractions in the workplace. It helps nurses to stay organized
with their communication with their patients during or throughout the day
[5]. 

One.4.3 Simplicity in Use

Hospitals and health facilities deal with life and death every day, so
because of this crucial task they carry out, every second is important and
can make a difference. Nurse call systems are fast, efficient and easy to
use. The simplicity of its interface requires little technical know-how to
begin its operation. They are no wire hanging out in the open and nurse
could have the option of wearing a device to make the alerts even more
immediate [5].

ONE.5 THE AIM OF PROJECT

The basic idea of this project is to design and implement a complete

wireless nurse call system in the temporary hospital, throw the disaster or
emergency situations such as COVID-19, displaying the patient room
number on a nurse room to provide fast and respectable medical service
Chapter One: Introduction 6

without any human errors or medical assistance delay, which could occur at
any instant of time during system preparation or installation.

ONE.6 THE STRUCTURE OF PROJECT

The summary of this study is the designing of a low-cost system for

nurse calling wirelessly through Covid-19 patients by using the Internet of
things (IoT), so the remaining chapters are divided as following:

i. Chapter One: provides a general background on nurse call system

systems, in addition to a historical overview of the development
stages of nurse call system systems, as well as the importance and
benefits of these systems with some related work and highlights the
objectives of the current study.
ii. Chapter Two: begins with an introduction to clarify the importance
of this designed system, and then the most important tools used to
make this system.
iii. Chapter Three: begins by developing the theoretical dimensions of
the research, then explaining the method of linking the system tools
together for the purpose of performing the required tasks.
iv. Chapter Four: presents the results of the final experiment.
v. Chapter Five: Draws conclusion and suggests some helpful
recommendations for future work to be undertaken on this research
study.
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
7

Chapter Two: Background and Theory

TWO.1 OVERVIEW

A nurse call system sounds simple, but is it really? Many people

have unclear understanding with nurse call system but don’t know the
specifics of how it works. In this study, we will answer the research
question: how do nurse call system works? Simply put, they allow a patient
to call or contact their nurse or medical’s staff easily. Some nurse call
systems While the function of a nurse call system is pretty easy to
understand, the system itself is relatively complex and has a number of
components. Let’s review some details to enhance background [6].
While modern nurse call systems can have many different features
and options, perhaps the most common main components of a nurse call
system are:

TWO.2 HARDWARE COMPONENTS

Two.2.1 Arduino Uno.

Fig.
2.2

Arduino Uno.
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
8

Two.2.1.1 Description

Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board based on 8-bit Atmega328P

microcontroller (Fig. 2.1). Along with Atmega328P, it consists other
components such as crystal oscillator, serial communication, voltage
regulator, etc. to support the microcontroller. Arduino Uno has 14 digital
input/output pins (out of which 6 can be used as Pulse Width Modulation
(PWM) outputs), 6 analog input pins, a Universal Serial Bus (USB)
connection, A Power barrel jack, an (In Circuit Serial Programming) ICSP
header and a reset button Bus Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, A
Power barrel jack, an “In Circuit Serial Programming” (ICSP) header and a
reset button [7].
Two.2.1.2 How to use Arduino Board?

The 14 digital input/output pins can be used as input or output pins

by using pin Mode, digital Read and digital Write in Arduino platform.
Each pin operates at 5V and can provide or receive a maximum of 40mA
current, and has an internal pull-up resistor of 20-50 Kilo Ohms(kΩ) which
are disconnected by default. Out of these 14 pins, some pins have specific
functions as listed below:
• Serial Pins 0 (Rx) and 1 (Tx):
Rx and Tx pins are used to receive and transmit Transistor Transistor
Logic (TTL) serial data. They are connected with the corresponding
Atmega328P USB to TTL serial chip.
• External Interrupt Pins 2 and 3:
These pins can be configured to trigger an interrupt on a low value,
a rising or falling edge, or a change in value.
• PWM Pins 3, 5, 6, 9 and 11:
These pins provide an 8-bit PWM output by using analog Write
function.
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
9

• Serial Peripheral Interphase (SPI) Pins 10, 11, 12 and 13:

These pins are used for SPI communication.
• In-built LED Pin 13:
This pin is connected with a built-in LED, when pin 13 is HIGH –
LED is on and when pin 13 is LOW, it’s off. Along with 14 Digital pins,
there are 6 analog input pins, each of which provide 10 bits of resolution,
i.e. 1024 different values. They measure from 0 to 5 volts but this limit can
be increased by using Analog Reference External Function (AREF) pin
with analog Reference function.
• Analog pin 4 Specific Dynamic Action (SDA) and pin 5 also used
for TWI communication using Wire library. Arduino Uno has a couple of
other pins as explained below: [7]
• AREF: Used to provide reference voltage for analog inputs with
analog Reference function.
• Reset Pin: Making this pin LOW, resets the microcontroller.

Two.2.2 433MHz RF Wireless Transmitter and Receiver

The 433 MHz RF transmitter and receiver module is a pair of small

RFS (i.e., radio-frequency) electronic modules used to send and receive
radio signals between any two devices. The transmitter module sends the
data from the transmitter end and the Receiver module receives that data at
the receiver’s end [6].
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
10

Fig. 2.3 Examples 433Mhz RF transmitter and receiver

Two.2.2.1 433MHz RF Transmitter Module Features:

i The Transmitter offers only one-way communication through

433.92MHz frequency at 1Kb data rate
ii It operates at a range of 3-12V which is also the power operating
volts of most of the microcontrollers and boards.
iii The module uses the ASK (Amplitude Shift Key) modulation
method to transmits the data.
iv It is one of the very low-cost power effective modules for both
commercial, hobbyist, and developers.
v 433MHz Transmitter is one of the cheapest RF transmitters and it
has a lot of applications and can be used interface with almost
every microcontroller [6].
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
11

Fig. 2.4 Examples 433MHz RF Transmitter.

Table 2.1 presents the RF transmitter pinout description that was shown in
Fig. 2.3.

Table 2.1 433MHz RF Transmitter Module.

Specifications of 433MHz RF Transmitter Module

 Max range with the antenna in normal Conditions: 100 Meters

 RX Receiver Frequency: 433 MHz
 RX Typical Sensitivity: 105 Dbm
 RX Supply Current: 3.5 mA
 RX IF Frequency: 1MHz
 RX Operating Voltage: 5V
 TX Frequency Range: 433.92 MHz
 TX Supply Voltage: 3V ~ 6V
 TX Output Power: 4 ~ 12 Dbm
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
12

Two.2.2.2 433MHz RF Receiver Module Features

The RF receiver delivers the output to the data pin in an encoded

form.
The operational voltage range of the module is 5V maximum. The
frequency of the receiver can be changed using a node present on it.
It is one of the popular and cheapest receivers and has low power
consumption.433MHz RF receiver module uses the ASK signal as an input
[4].
Specifications of 433MHz RF Receiver Module

 Max range with the antenna in normal Conditions: 100 Meters

 RX Receiver Frequency: 433 MHz
 RX Typical Sensitivity: 105 Dbm
 RX Supply Current: 3.5 mA
 RX IF Frequency: 1MHz
 RX Operating Voltage: 5V [6]

Fig. 2.5 Examples 433MHz RF Receiver Module.

Table 2.2 presents the RF receiver pinout description that was shown in
Fig. 2.4.
Table 2.2 433MHz RF Receiver Module.
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
13

Two.2.3 Types of Wires

These wires are very important pieces in Arduino projects because

they help you connect the parts and sensors to each other and connect them
with the Arduino.

Fig.
2.6

Examples Types of Wires.

Two.2.4 Buzzer

A buzzer is a small yet efficient component to add sound features to

our project/system. It is very small and compact 2-pin structure hence can
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
14

be easily used on breadboard, Perf Board and even on PCBs which makes
this a widely used component in most electronic applications. [8]

Fig. 2.7 Examples of Buzzer.

Two.2.5 LED Lighting

LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce
light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do
they work? An electrical current pass through a microchip, which
illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible
light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed
into a heat sink.
LEDs are incorporated into bulbs and fixtures for general lighting
applications. Small in size, LEDs provide unique design opportunities.
Some LED bulb solutions may physically resemble familiar light bulbs and
better match the appearance of traditional light bulbs. Some LED light
fixtures may have LEDs built in as a permanent light source. There are also
hybrid approaches where a non-traditional “bulb” or replaceable light
source format is used and specially designed for a unique fixture. LEDs
offer a tremendous opportunity for innovation in lighting form factors and
fit a wider breadth of applications than traditional lighting technologies
Additionally, LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced by the
LED and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps LEDs
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
15

from overheating and burning out. Thermal management is generally the

single most important factor in the successful performance of an LED over
its lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the
more quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.
LED products use a variety of unique heat sink designs and
configurations to manage heat. Today, advancements in materials have
allowed manufacturers to design LED bulbs that match the shapes and sizes
of traditional incandescent bulbs. Regardless of the heat sink design, all
LED products that have earned the ENERGY STAR have been tested to
ensure that they properly manage the heat so that the light output is
properly maintained through the end of its rated life.[9]

Fig. 2.8 Examples of LED Lighting

Two.2.6 Push Button Switch

2.2.6.1 PUSH BUTTON PRINCIPLE

Push buttons are simple single pole switches. They contain a set of
contact plates that make or break when activated by someone. All push
buttons are made the same way, what gives them their special
characteristics or function is the legend plate and sometimes the operator or
button head. The legend plate surrounding the push button lets the user
know the purpose of the control device, whether it is to turn something on
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
16

or off or move something up or down, it all depends on what the label is

telling the user of the push button to do. In some instances, the shape of
the push button indicates its function.
For example, a push button in the shape of a mushroom and red in
color informs the user that the intention of the push button is to serve as an
emergency stop, as shown in figure 2, unlike a push button that is simply
red to indicate stop and/or green to indicate start [10].

Fig. 2.9 Examples of Push Button

Two.2.7 Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED or organic LED), also

known as organic electroluminescent (organic EL) diode, [5][6] is a light-
emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a
film of organic compound that emits light in response to an electric current.
This organic layer is situated between two electrodes; typically, at least one
of these electrodes is transparent. OLEDs are used to create digital displays
in devices such as television screens, computer monitors, and portable
systems such as smartphones and handheld game consoles. A major area of
research is the development of white OLED devices for use in solid-state
lighting applications [5].
There are two main families of OLED: those based on small
molecules and those employing polymers. Adding mobile ions to an OLED
creates a light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) which has a slightly
different mode of operation.
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
17

An OLED display can be driven with a passive-matrix (PMOLED)

or active-matrix (AMOLED control scheme. In the PMOLED scheme, each
row (and line) in the display is controlled sequentially, one by one,[6]
whereas AMOLED control uses a thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane to
directly access and switch each individual pixel on or off, allowing for
higher resolution and larger display sizes. Although its name looks similar,
OLED is fundamentally different from LED. The LED is based on a p-n
diode structure. In an LED, doping is used to create (p) and (n) regions by
changing the conductivity of the host semiconductor. OLEDs do not
employ a p-n structure. Doping of OLEDs is used to increase radiative
efficiency by direct modification of the quantum-mechanical optical
recombination rate. Doping is additionally used to determine the
wavelength of photon emission [7].
An OLED display works without a backlight because it emits visible
light. Thus, it can display deep black levels and can be thinner and lighter
than a liquid crystal display (LCD). In low ambient light conditions (such
as a dark room), an OLED screen can achieve a higher contrast ratio than
an LCD, regardless of whether the LCD uses cold cathode fluorescent
lamps or an LED backlight .OLED displays are made in the same way as
LCDs, but after TFT (for active matrix displays), addressable grid (for
passive matrix displays) or indium-tin oxide (ITO segment (for segment
displays) formation, the display is coated with hole injection, transport and
blocking layers, as well with electroluminescent material after the first 2
layers, after which ITO or metal may be applied again as a cathode and
later the entire stack of materials is encapsulated. The TFT layer,
addressable grid or ITO segments serve as or are connected to the anode,
which may be made of ITO or metal. OLEDs can be made flexible and
transparent, with transparent displays being used in smartphones with
Chapter Two: Background and Theory
18

optical fingerprint scanners and flexible displays being used in foldable

smartphones [6].
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED or organic LED), also
known as organic electroluminescent (organic EL) diode, [10] is a light-
emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a
film of organic compound that emits light in response to an electric current.
This organic layer is situated between two electrodes; typically, at least one
of these electrodes is transparent. OLEDs are used to create digital displays
in devices such as television screens, computer monitors, and portable
systems such as smartphones and handheld game consoles. A major area of
research is the development of white OLED devices for use in solid-state
lighting applications [6].

TWO.3 SOFTWARE PLATFORM

Once Arduino IDE is installed on the computer, connect the board

with computer using USB cable. Now open the Arduino IDE and choose
the correct board by selecting Tools>Boards>Arduino/Genuine Uno, and
choose the correct Port by selecting Tools>Port. Arduino Uno is
programmed using Arduino programming language based on Wiring. To
get it started with Arduino Uno board and blink the built-in LED, load the
example code by selecting Files>Examples>Basics>Blink. Once the
example code (also shown below) is loaded into your IDE, click on the
‘upload’ button given on the top bar. Once the upload is finished, you
should see the Arduino’s built-in LED blinking. Below is the example code
for blinking [6].
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
19

Chapter Three: The proposed work

THREE.1 REAL TIME NURSE CALL SYSTEM

The project program was built based on the flow chart in Fig. 3.1,
when the system starts, the nurse is called when the push button is pressed.
After that, the nurse has been called by the patient. Let's go to the nurses'
room and see how the system will tell her/his to call. This happens using
the LCD. The number of the room and the bed from which the call was
made is displayed on this screen, and a sound of buzzer alerts the nurse.

THREE.2 THE MECHANISM OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM

The nurse responds to the patient's call. Nonetheless, to make it

easier. To reach the desired room faster, and instead of searching between
room numbers for the desired number, the system puts a led in front of the
patient’s rooms and when a call is made.
The system turns on this light so that the nurse can identify them
faster light the room with this led. Also, if it's in the corridor, it can know
the patient's need for help immediately instead of going back to his/her
room and receiving the call.
When the nurse arrives at the patient's room, he/she must inform the
system that he/she has answered the call. This is done via the cancel call
button now it's over.
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
20

Fig. 3.10 Flowchart.

Fig. 3.1 shows the flowchart of the proposed nurse call system. After
initializing system, the microcontroller waits for any interrupt from the
input ports of Patient Room Unit. If finds logic one from the pushbutton
switch in patient bed, then take the action (turn the LED on) and send the
instruction to the Nurse Unit. The instruction refers to number of bed and
number of rooms by RF. RF sends the signal to the receiver in the nurses’
unit. The controller inside the nurse unit will display the numbers and turn
on the buzzer to alarm medical staff. Practically, system includes reset
button to clear and disable the LEDs and buzzer after the nurse responded.
In this project, we will connect only three beds as room in emergency
hospital. It can be expanded to 8 beds in future work.
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
21

THREE.3 CIRCUIT OF NURSE CALL SYSTEM

After we clarified the concepts of project tools and mechanism.

Now, we will connect all tools together to see how the department design
work. The system consists of two devices:

Three.3.1 The Transmitter (near patient or patient room unit)

We connected the circuit as shown in Fig. 3.2. It includes:

i. LED
Lighting LED when the patient (1, 2, or/and 3) press the pushbutton.
The connection to microcontroller method
LED 1: Connect the first pin to GND and second pin to pin 2 on the
Arduino.
LED 2: Connect the first pin to GND and second pin to pin 3 on the
Arduino.
LED 3: Connect the first pin to GND and second pin to pin 4 on the
Arduino.
ii. NRF24L01
It is the device responsible for sending the signal to the nurse’s unit.
The item was connected as below:
-VDD connects with GND on Arduino.
-VCC connects with 5V on Arduino.
-Data connects with pin 12 on Arduino.
iii. ARDUINO
It is the most device in the system responsible for managing and it
is connected to the rest of the devices.
iv. PUSH BUTTON
It is responsible for calling the nurse when pressed by working as a
logic On or Off. It is Connected as call buttons:
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
22

Connect the first party to PIN 8,9,10 and the second party to R1, R2,
R3, and then to 5 V.
In other side it can be connected as rest buttons privately:
The first party connects to PIN 5, 6, 7 and the second party to GND.

Fig. 3.11 The Nurse Call System Circuit (Patient Unit).

Fig. 3.3 shows how to send the signal from the patient unit to the
nurse unit. When the patient presses the button, a signal is sent to the
Arduino, then the LED lights up and the RF sends the signal to the receiver
in the nurse unit.
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
23

F
i
g
.
3
.

12 Patient unit.

Three.3.2 The Receiver (near nurse or nurse unit)

We connect the circuit as shown in Fig. 3.4.,

It includes:
i. LCD
When the system is turned on and press the push button, it displays
the room number and bed number.
Connect the parts:
-VDD connects with GND on Arduino.
-VSS connects with 5V on Arduino.
-SCL connects with PIN A5 on Arduino.
-SDA connects with pin A4 on Arduino.
ii. Arduino
It is the most device in the system responsible for managing and it is
connected to the reset of the device.
iii. Buzzer
He is responsible for alerting the nurses by using loud continuous
sound.
The Connect:
The first pin to GND and the second pin to pin 8 on the Arduino.
iv. NRF24L01
Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
24

It is the device responsible for receiving the signal from the patient's
room.
The Connect:
-GND connects with GND on Arduino.
-VSS connects with 5V on Arduino.
-OUT connects with PIN 11 on Arduino.

Fig. 3.13 The Nurse Call System Circuit (Nurse Unit)

Chapter Three: The Proposed Work
25

Fig. 3.5 shows how to nurse unit that can receives a signal from the
patient unit. RF receives the signal from the transmitter to convert it to the
Arduino and then to the buzzer and the LCD will be enables.

Fig. 3.14 Nurse unit

THREE.4 SUMMARY

To summarize our idea, the Nurse call system can use RF and
connects the patients and nurse room wirelessly. According to emergency
and disaster circumstances such as COVID 19 pandemic. We can design a
beneficial instrument with low cast and useful components. The proposed
project was designed and tested to get good performance and high quality.
Next chapter will present some practical results.
Chapter Four: Experimental Results
26

Chapter Four: Experimental Results

FOUR.1 OVERVIEW

Wireless Nurse call is an intelligent RF call system for emergency

hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other healthcare institutions. it was
designed based on IoT. At the same time, it is possible to connect the
existing nurse call system of any brand and use the existing installation in
the building according to scalability.

FOUR.2 THE PRACTICAL EXCREMENT OF THE NURSE CALL

SYSTEM

In the practical aspect of the project, the parts were precisely linked, as
we were keen to present an integrated project for the medical aspect and
useful for the future. In the first electrical board, (patient’s Unit), the RF
transmitter was connected to the Arduino and was programmed on the basis
of the project Also, three electric push buttons were added that carry out
the transmission process and added with some LEDs to indicate the users.
Moreover, in the opposite, three reset push buttons have been connected
that perform the reset process after the sending process and finish the task
of nurse.
In the second electrical panel, (Nurse’s Room Unit) a main board
was connected to the Arduino and the RF receiver. Additionally, we
append LCD to display the patient room or bed to alert nurse with sound of
Buzzer. As shown in Fig. 4.1.
Chapter Four: Experimental Results
27

Fig. 4.15 Nurse Call System

Four.2.1 First Case Study

We tested the system in one room containing three beds, and the
numbers of the beds were added to identify the bed that needs care or
assistance. When the patient presses the first button, the screen displays the
first bed number and the first room number and the Buzzer works, and
when the nurse comes, he/she saws the RED LED on then he/she presses
the reset button to return the screen to its normal position and the LED
turns off as well as the Buzzer turns off and be silent. Fig. 4.2 shows how
the room number 1 and bed number 1 appear in the screen.
Chapter Four: Experimental Results
28

Fig. 4.16 LED Displays room 1 bed 1

Four.2.2 Second Case Study

We repeat same procedure for the second button, the screen displays
the second bed number and the first room number and the Buzzer alerts
with loud alarm, and when the nurse comes, the nurse founds the
YELLOW LED on
The nurse resets the second reset button to return the screen into
default position and the LED turns off as well as the Buzzer stops. Fig. 4.3
shows how the room number 1 and bed number 2 appear in the screen.

Fig. 4.17 Displays room 1 bed 2

Four.2.3 Third Case Study

Again, we test the third case when the patient 3 presses the third
button, the screen displays the third bed number and the first room number
and the Buzzer works, and when the nurse comes and saws the GREEN
LED was turned on
Chapter Four: Experimental Results
29

Then reset the third reset button to return the screen into normal or
blank and the LED and Buzzer turn off. Fig. 4.4 shows how the room
number 1 and bed number 3 appear in the screen.

Fig. 4.18 Displays room 1 bed 3

Four.2.4 Fourth Case Study

In the last case study, we tested the system when the three patients
needed help at the same time and press their push button, the three LEDs
turned on, the room and bed numbers appeared on the screen, and the alarm
sounded. When the reset button is pressed, the bed LED goes off and the
room and bed number disappears from the screen and so, the process is
done for the rest of the family. Fig. 4.5 shows how the room number 1 and
all bed number appear seriously in the LED.

Fig.
4.19
Displays all
bed and
room 1
Chapter Five: Conclusion and Future Work 30

Chapter Five: Conclusion and Future work

FIVE.1 CONCLUSION

Our target system uses wireless technology because there is no need

to connect cables to any of the hitting points, and the impact is minimal.
Wireless systems also have lower installation and operating costs than
traditional cable systems, as well as faster and easier to install. Wireless
configuration provides complete flexibility and mobility, which makes our
system flexible and flexible indefinitely, thus allowing for continuous
ability to address priorities and changes. In addition, our system is safe,
scalable, reliable and cost-effective. It can be tailored to suit the needs and
requirements of the individual and adapted to work in any hospital budget.
It also has a variety of features that can help increase the efficiency of staff
and improve the overall quality of care provided by health care clients and
patients.

FIVE.2 FUTURE WORK

The project can be developed and other additions to the system can
be added, such as adding more beds.
Once this crisis is over the devices can be transferred for use in
regular hospitals and other care centers. We understand that we are in a
critical time and we wanted to use our skills and knowledge in being part of
the solution “But we also know that we will get through this, and life will
in some way go back to normal
References 34

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