Using Vital Sensors in Mobile Healthcare Business Applications: Challenges, Examples, Lessons Learned

Today, sensors are increasingly used for data collection. In the medical domain, for example, vital signs (e.g., pulse or oxygen saturation) of patients can be measured with sensors and used for further processing. In this paper, different types of applications will be discussed whether sensors might be used in the context of these applications and their suitability for applying external sensors to them. Furthermore, a system architecture for adding sensor technology to respective applications is presented. For this purpose, a real-world business application scenario in the field of well-being and fitness is presented. In particular, we integrated two different sensors in our fitness application. We report on the lessons learned from the implementation and use of this application, e.g., in respect to connection and data structure. They mainly deal with problems relating to the connection and communication between the smart mobile device and the external sensors, as well as the selection of the appropriate type of application. Finally, a robust sensor framework, arising from this fitness application is presented. This framework provides basic features for connecting sensors. Particularly, in the medical domain, it is crucial to provide an easy to use toolset to relieve medical staff.