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Nokia, Fraunhofer HHI and Charité to Collaborate on Wireless Sensing
Solutions for Healthcare
Nokia announced that it has launched about the hospital. These sub-THz sensing Fraunhofer HHI and Charité on healthcare
a research initiative with Fraunhofer networks could provide several benefits sensing solutions, Nokia is demonstrating
Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) and Charité in healthcare. They would require no its technology leadership beyond the
– Universitätsmedizin Berlin to investigate physical contact with human body, which communications business. Peter Vetter,
the use of wireless sensing technologies would prevent false alarms from wearable President of Bell Labs Core Research, Nokia,
in medical applications. The trio will monitors being accidentally removed. They said: “It’s a good day when we can find
focus on how sub-terahertz (sub-THz) would provide patients with much greater new applications for our research beyond
frequencies could detect human vital signs freedom of movement and allow hospitals the communications industry. Wireless
from a distance, opening the door to a to extend continuous heart and respiratory sensing is a fundamental component of
new generation of non-invasive medical monitoring to a much larger proportion of our long-term 6G vision, but if we can apply
monitoring and diagnostic solutions. The their patient populations. The technology these same concepts to creating better
unique characteristics of the sub-THz could also lead to new in-home healthcare healthcare solutions, then we’ve produced
frequencies (90 GHz to 300 GHz) make applications. For instance, smart home even more benefit for society.”Professor
them well-suited for wireless sensing systems could track patients’ vital signs, Sascha Treskatsch, Head of the Department
applications. These applications would alerting physicians to any changes. The of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care
act similarly to radar, but with much higher collaboration brings together three of Medicine at Campus Benjamin Franklin,
accuracy due to sub-THz’s tiny wavelengths the leading organizations in technology Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin,
and high bandwidth. Nokia Bell Labs, and medical research. A groundbreaking said: “We need to have more-flexible and
Fraunhofer HHI and Charité are jointly innovator in the fields of communications less-invasive monitoring solutions, which
exploring how sensing networks utilizing and multimedia, Fraunhofer HHI will lend can easily be integrated in daily life and
sub-THz frequencies could make extremely its expertise in sensor technologies. incorporated into hospitals’ information
high-resolution spatial scans in hospital As Europe’s largest academic research systems.” Professor Slawomir Stanczak,
settings to keep track of patients’ vital hospital, Charité will validate and evaluate Head of the Wireless Communications and
signs. In a hospital room for instance, the the sensing technology. Nokia Bell Labs, Networks Department at Fraunhofer HHI
sensing network would be able to detect one of the world’s premier applied-research and Head of the Network information Theory
and distinguish the individual heartbeats institutions, will bring its radio-design and Group at Technische Universität Berlin,
and respiration rates of every patient in the sensing competencies to the table. Nokia said: “Sub-THz technology has enormous
room without the aid of intrusive sensors like Bell Labs is investigating many ways for potential to revolutionize medicine. With its
electrocardiogram electrodes or fingertip using wireless spectrum to create new high bandwidths for communication and
pulse oximeters. Using beamforming sensing technologies. For instance, a sensing, it enables real-time monitoring of
technologies, the sensor network would key component of future 6G networks bodily functions and more precise tracking
theoretically follow individual patients, is joint communications and sensing of treatment progress. This technology can
ensuring they were continuously monitored (JCAS), which will allow networks to fundamentally change the way we detect
when using restroom facilities or moving sense their surroundings. By working with disease and treat patients.”
Nokia Reaches 7,000 Patent Families Declared as Essential to 5G
Nokia announced that it has reached
the milestone of 7,000 patent families
declared as essential to 5G with more to
follow. Nokia’s fundamental inventions in
5G include groundbreaking innovations
in 5G radio protocol design, 5G security
and interface technologies that define
how smartphones, connected cars and
other connected devices interact with
5G networks. Patrik Hammarén, Acting
President of Nokia Technologies, said:
“Nokia’s substantial investment in cellular
R&D and standardization continues to pay
off. We have now reached the landmark of
7,000 high-quality patent families declared
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