AMBIENT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS - Using the Hydra Embedded Middleware for Implementing an Ambient Disease Management System

Abstract

Healthcare is an important aspect of ambient life. As the life expectation increases and thus diseases statistically become more frequent, the high-quality and cost-effective management of such diseases becomes a societal task. Within this paper we examine issues and requirements stemming from the implementation of disease management systems. Such systems critically depend on acceptance, costefficiency and other criteria that – through those requirements – are addressed by the Hydra multi-domain middleware. Hydra aims at the seamless integration of embedded systems such as bio-medical sensors and other domain-specific and generic equipment. We motivate and demonstrate the use of the middleware in the healthcare sector by means of a disease management system relying on the easy integration and proper configurability of applications running on the included measuring and controlling devices.