title: Fading characteristics of a 2.3 GHz radio telemetry channel in a hospital building.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Bioengineering Centre, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, Co. Antrim, UK.
authors.forename: L Q
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D008284:Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011845:Radio / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011846:Radio Waves; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors