December 19, 2024
The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI), Nokia Bell Labs, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have launched a strategic partnership to explore the use of sub-THz frequencies in healthcare. The collaboration will investigate how wireless communication technologies in the sub-THz range can be applied to non-invasive medical technologies. They could detect patient’s vital signs from a distance, opening the door to a new generation of non-invasive medical monitoring and diagnostic solutions.
Sub-THz radio systems, operating at frequencies between 90 GHz and 300 GHz, are characterized by extremely short wavelengths and high bandwidths, offering significantly higher sensitivity and accuracy than current sensing technologies. A particularly promising approach is "Joint Communication and Sensing" – the simultaneous use of the wireless communication system for data transmission and environmental sensing. These unique properties of sub-THz will be leveraged by the project partners to develop a communication system capable of supporting extremely high data rates and high-resolution spatial scans in hospitals.
"Sub-THz technology has the potential to revolutionize medicine," explains Prof. Slawomir Stanczak, Head of Wireless Communication and Networks at Fraunhofer HHI. "With its high bandwidths, it enables real-time monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate and breathing frequency, and provides more accurate tracking of treatment progress. This technology could fundamentally change the way we diagnose diseases and treat patients."
Sub-THz communication networks could replace wired sensors, such as electrocardiogram electrodes or fingertip pulse oximeters. This would help eliminate false alarms caused by accidental disconnections of wearable monitors, while offering patients greater mobility. Using beamforming technologies, the network could also track individual patients, ensuring that their vital signs are continuously monitored, even as they move within the hospital.
In addition, the technology offers new opportunities for life-saving applications in home care. Smart home systems could continuously monitor vital signs and alert doctors to life-threatening changes.
"As part of the 6G-RIC research hub, we have made significant progress in developing sub-THz-based technologies," says Dr. Michael Peter, Head of the mm-Wave Group at Fraunhofer HHI. "We are looking forward to harness this expertise with our partners to develop innovative wireless solutions for entirely new areas of application, such as healthcare."
As Europe's leading academic research center, Charité will validate and assess the sub-THz technology, while Nokia Bell Labs, one of the world’s leading applied research institutions, will contribute its expertise in radio design and sensing.