Cross-layer optimization schemes for Wireless Biosensor Networks

Wireless Biosensor Networks will enhance the medical performances due to its many advantages such as long term monitoring, fast network establishment, untethered connectivity and ambulatory diagnosis. The network protocol plays a paramount role in performing the medical tasks. Due to many unique challenges imposed on the network design in wireless biosensor networks, especially when it is related to healthcare, there are a lot of network optimization problems to be solved in the network design such as congestion control, medium access control, power control and bioeffects control etc. These issues involve several layers of the network protocol stack so that it is not practical to consider every single optimization problem independently. It is better to consider the whole network stack as adaptive cross layer optimization problem in a holistic view. The main contribution of this paper is the employment of cross layer optimization methods to combat the unique challenges posed to the WBSN. Two preliminary optimization schemes are proposed: one is for joint congestion control and medium access control, and the other for joint power and bioeffects control. In the later scheme, we introduce the biological effects into the utility model for two purposes, one is to evaluate and control the bioeffects caused by higher power radiofrequency, and the other is to use it as the cost of noncooperative game for each node. This position paper also briefly outlines the current methodologies exploited for wireless network cross layer design and investigates the theoretical problems.