Localized monitoring

1. A medical device system for providing a localized, patient-specific wireless network, the system comprising:

an external defibrillator configured to provide a wireless network according to a wireless transmission protocol, wherein the external defibrillator includes a first wireless module that comprises a first transmitter and a first receiver configured to communicate via the wireless network;

at least one sensor configured to be placed in contact with a skin of a patient and obtain patient-specific data, wherein the at least one sensor includes a second wireless module that comprises a second transmitter and a second receiver configured to communicate with the external defibrillator via the wireless network; and

at least one defibrillator pad configured to be placed in contact with the skin of the patient, and configured to communicate with the external defibrillator over a wired electrical connection,

wherein the external defibrillator is configured to communicate with the at least one sensor via a first signal transmission path and a second signal transmission path, the first signal transmission path comprising the wired electrical connection between the external defibrillator and the at least one defibrillator pad, and the second signal transmission path comprising a body of the patient as a conductive medium between the at least one defibrillator pad and the at least one sensor, and the external defibrillator is further configured to:

establish the localized, patient-specific wireless network, wherein the localized, patient-specific wireless network includes the at least one sensor and the external defibrillator,

perform a secure authentication process comprising an exchange of multiple authentication signals between the at least one sensor and the external defibrillator, the multiple authentication signals comprising:

an initial signal transmitted from the second wireless module of the at least one sensor to the first wireless module of the external defibrillator via the wireless network according to the wireless transmission protocol, wherein the initial signal establishes communication between the at least one sensor and the external defibrillator, and

an electrical reply signal from the external defibrillator to the at least one sensor, in response to the initial signal, transmitted over the first signal transmission path and the second signal transmission path; and

subsequent to the secure authentication process, enable the at least one sensor to send and receive signals via the localized, patient-specific wireless network; and

wherein the secure authentication process ensures that the at least one sensor is correctly paired with the external defibrillator and the localized, patient-specific wireless network associated with the patient so that the patient-specific data is only received by recipients authorized to view and use the patient-specific data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external defibrillator is configured to initiate the secure authentication process based on a request to join the localized, patient-specific wireless network received from the at least one sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure authentication process comprises a handshaking routine.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the localized, patient-specific wireless network comprises a body area network.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the localized, patient-specific wireless network comprises a mesh network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor at least one of blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, blood oxygen level, end tidal carbon dioxide level, pulmonary function, and blood glucose level.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the external defibrillator is configured to receive, from the at least one sensor via the localized, patient-specific wireless network, one or more wireless signals indicative of at least one of blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, blood oxygen level, end tidal carbon dioxide level, pulmonary function, and blood glucose level.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple authentication signals comprise an identification signal that originates at the at least one sensor, and includes an identifier associated with the at least one sensor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the multiple authentication signals comprise an acknowledgement signal that originates at the external defibrillator, and includes an identifier uniquely identifying the acknowledgement signal.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure authentication process comprises transmitting, by the external defibrillator, an identification request signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the secure authentication process comprises transmitting, by the at least one sensor and in response to receiving the identification request signal, an identifier associated with the at least one sensor.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure authentication process comprises using an authentication protocol.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the authentication protocol is an Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP).

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple authentication signals are transmitted in accordance with a protected access protocol.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the initial signal includes an authentication signal, and the electrical reply signal comprises an acknowledgement of the authentication signal, wherein the electrical reply signal is transmitted before the at least one sensor is enabled to send or receive signals via the localized, patient-specific wireless network.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the initial signal is transmitted from the at least one sensor to the external defibrillator, and comprises a synchronize message that includes a first sequence number.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the electrical reply signal is transmitted from the external defibrillator to the at least one sensor, and comprises a synchronize-acknowledgement message that includes a second sequence number and a first acknowledgement number.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the initial signal is a first signal, the electrical reply signal is a second signal, and the multiple authentication signals comprises a third signal transmitted from the at least one sensor to the external defibrillator over the wired electrical connection and via the body of the patient.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the third signal comprises an acknowledgement message that includes a second acknowledgement number.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is configured to always transmit signals via the wireless network and is configured to receive signals via the wireless network, and via the wired electrical connection and the body of the patient.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission protocol includes a transmission protocol according to IEEE 802.11.

22. A method for providing a patient-specific wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing, by an external defibrillator, the patient-specific wireless network, wherein the patient-specific wireless network comprises the external defibrillator configured to provide a wireless network according to a wireless transmission protocol, and wherein the external defibrillator includes a first wireless module that comprises a first transmitter and a first receiver configured to communicate via the wireless network;

configuring at least one sensor to be placed in contact with a skin of a patient, wherein the at least one sensor includes a second wireless module that comprises a second transmitter and a second receiver configured to communicate with the external defibrillator via the wireless network,

wherein the sensor is further configured to communicate with the external defibrillator via a first signal transmission path and a second signal transmission path, the second signal transmission path comprising a body of the patient as a conductive medium between the at least one sensor and at least one defibrillator pad in contact with the patient's skin, and the first signal transmission path comprising a wired electrical connection between the external defibrillator and the at least one defibrillator pad;

performing a secure authentication process comprising exchanging multiple authentication signals between the at least one sensor and the external defibrillator, the multiple authentication signals comprising:

an initial signal transmitted from the second wireless module of the at least one sensor to the first wireless module of the external defibrillator via the wireless network according to the wireless transmission protocol, wherein the initial signal establishes communication between the at least one sensor and the external defibrillator, and

an electrical reply signal, in response to the initial signal, from the external defibrillator to the at least one sensor, transmitted over the first signal transmission path and the second signal transmission path; and

subsequent to the authentication of the at least one sensor, enabling the at least one sensor to send and receive signals via the patient-specific wireless network; and

wherein the secure authentication process ensures that the at least one sensor is correctly paired with the external defibrillator and the localized, patient-specific wireless network associated with the patient so that patient-specific data is only received by recipients authorized to view and use the patient-specific data.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein performing the secure authentication process comprises performing a handshaking routine.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the patient-specific wireless network comprises a body area network.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the patient-specific wireless network comprises a mesh network.

26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

securing the at least one defibrillator pad to the body of the patient; and

securing the at least one sensor to the body of the patient.

27. The method of claim 22 comprising receiving, by the first wireless module of the external defibrillator, from the second wireless module of the at least one sensor via the patient-specific wireless network, one or more wireless signals indicative of at least one of blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, blood oxygen level, end tidal carbon dioxide level, pulmonary function, and blood glucose level.

28. The method of claim 22 , wherein the wireless transmission protocol includes a transmission protocol according to IEEE 802.11.