File:MEDICAL BIOSENSORS CONNECTED TO A SOFTWARE PLATFORM IN AN AUSTERE ENVIRONMENT (IA medicalbiosensor1094562791).pdf

In this thesis, we evaluate the integration of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) physiological biosensors with a software platform application, Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distribution Kit (BATDOK), in a field environment using a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET). Navy corpsmen, while deployed with the Marine Corps, can expect to find themselves in an austere or network-contested environment with limited network capability. They may need to monitor more than one casualty at a time and relay the information to a higher echelon of care in real time. The 2016 Marine Corps Operating Concept states to “take advantage of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) network and data solutions” and to “operate with Resilience in a Contested-Network Environment.” Research was performed iteratively, from selection and configuration of equipment, biosensors, and software to field experiments with various objectives. The quantitative analysis of the experiment data showed that the use of a MANET worked well to transmit data in an austere and network-contested environment. Based on this research, it was found that BATDOK is a feasible solution to capture patient data from COTS biosensors, but additional experimentation must be completed with more biosensors and different operational environments to determine its true efficacy during military operations in which corpsmen may find themselves.

Subjects: Mobile Ad Hoc Network; MANET; self-healing; self-forming; mesh network; tactical network; battlefield medicine; austere environment; Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit; BATDOK; physiological biosensors