A GSM mobile system to monitor brain function using a near-infrared light sensor

This paper presents a versatile mobile system to monitor oxygenated hemoglobin (HBO) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HB) concentration changes in brain and tissues. The system uses global system for mobile communications (GSM) and Bluetooth networks to provide extended mobility. The system consists of three parts: a wireless near-infrared light sensor with Bluetooth support, a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a personal computer (PC). The sensor connects to the PDA using Bluetooth and the PDA connects to the PC in the lab using GSM and the Internet. The system packages the acquired data using multiple data communication protocols. It is a light-weight solution to monitor brain and tissues in real-life situations. The extended mobility was achieved by building software components in the PDA and the PC to provide the bridge between the Bluetooth sensor and the PC over GSM networks. The system was tested on humans and animals.