Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks: Survey of MAC and Routing Protocols for Patient Monitoring under IEEE 802.15.4...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Wireless Communications
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Background:

• Wireless body area sensor networks (WBASNs) are crucial for remote patient monitoring using low-power wearable and implantable sensors.
• Standards like IEEE 802.15.4-2015 and IEEE 802.15.6-2012 underpin WBASN development for enhanced data accuracy, reliability, and communication.
• Significant research and industrial efforts address the complexities of WBASNs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the state-of-the-art medium access control (MAC) and routing protocols for WBASNs.
• To analyze these protocols based on patient monitoring system requirements.
• To identify open issues, lessons learned, and challenges in WBASN design and development.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent research on WBASN MAC and routing protocols.
• Analysis of protocols considering patient monitoring application requirements.
• Discussion of challenges and future trends.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive overview of current MAC and routing protocols in WBASNs.
• Identification of key challenges and limitations in existing WBASN protocols.
• Insights into the requirements for future WBASN advancements.

Conclusions:

• WBASNs are vital for next-generation healthcare, requiring optimized MAC and routing protocols.
• This survey provides a foundation for future WBASN research and development.
• Findings are relevant for 6G networks, particularly concerning sensor-based IoT and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements.