Fading characteristics of a 2.3 GHz radio telemetry channel in a hospital building

This paper reports on radio path attenuation measurements made in a hospital complex at a spot frequency of 2.340 GHz. Power loss figures for fixed path propagation in a variety of building types have been determined for proposed telemetry use in operational ward situations. Throughout the hospital, the radio paths assessed all exhibited a loss in excess of that calculated for free-space communications. Modern buildings had external wall losses of 10–25 dB, with dividing walls in wards contributing an additional 5 dB. Received signal strength levels indicated a Rayleigh distribution for obstructed paths. Temporal testing was used to find the rate and depth of signal fades caused by the movement of personnel and equipment during normal ward usage; signal level reductions of greater than 35 dB were common during busy periods.