ABSTRACT

Almost anyone knows that a measurement is the process of comparing a quantity with another one of the same type (e.g., length, volume, area) whose result is a number. Such a measurement can be done without ambiguities in a straightforward manner with the help of a measurement system, which requires specic instrumentation for achieving such task [1]. is instrumentation can be a simple instrument for directly measuring a physical quantity (e.g., a voltmeter for measuring an electrical potential difference between two points of a circuit, an ampere meter for measuring a current owing in a branch of a circuit, a thermometer for measuring temperatures) and can take one of these following forms regarding their internal working and signal processing: analog or digital [2]. e ability to connect and communicate with external devices [3] (using dedicated cables and/or communication networks) as well as the inherent exibility [4] (their easiness for adding new functions and/or reconguration of the existing ones) makes digital instruments have major potential for use in several elds of human activity (heavy industry, medicine, transportation systems, domestic, agriculture, and food industry are some application examples). e next evolutionary step of measurement instruments is integrating functions to provide wireless transfer of data. In this sequence of ideas, the developments of microelectronics and microsystems allowed engineers to successfully develop this new measuring method [5]. is resulted in new possibilities for measuring, acquiring, transferring, storing, and analyzing the physical world: embedded systems [6] and wireless sensors networks [7] are two new possibilities for achieving such a goal, with wireless being the major attractive technology. is leads to the wireless instrument concept, which by its nature requires multidisciplinary concepts such as measurement science, electronic circuits design, microelectronics and microsystems fabrication, wireless communication systems, and networking [8]. Figure 85.1 reinforces this idea by showing the dierent disciplines that must be employed for designing a wireless instrument. e primary focus of this chapter is the presentation and integration of these concepts. is chapter also presents biomedical applications based on wireless instruments and new application concepts.