Abstract: The present invention provides for a communication system for conveying biomedical data between a plurality of patient monitors and a centralized base station. The communication system includes a plurality of base transceivers within the base station. Each of the base transceivers is coupled with a dedicated transmit antenna and a dedicated receive antenna. The communication system additionally includes a plurality of remote transceivers each coupled with one of the patient monitors. Each of the remote transceivers communicates with a respective base transceiver. Each of the base transceivers may be interconnected via a common bus. The base transceivers and remote transceivers each have at least one tuning device controlled by a microcontroller for varying the center frequency thereof according to a hop sequence. The communication system may include a forward error correction device, a scrambler and a modem for providing GMSK modulation of the biomedical data.

Abstract: A quench detector for determining a conductive state in an energized superconductor, including a thermoluminescent quenching sensor in thermal contact with the superconductor and producing a quenching signal corresponding to the conductive state; and a signal processor connected to the quenching sensor, the signal processor determining the conductive state, responsive to the quenching signal. Also a method for detecting a conductive state in an energized superconductor includes detecting a luminescence signal from a thermoluminescent sensor in intimate thermal contact with, and responsive to, a temperature of the energized superconductor; comparing the luminescence signal to a threshold to determine the existence of the conductive state; and responding to the conductive state with a predetermined response. The method can include activating the thermoluminescent sensor by irradiating the sensor.