Devices operating on MedRadio include cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, neuromuscular stimulators, and drug delivery systems.
[1][2] As of February 2016[update], communications spectrum for these and other similar devices is set aside at various points in the 400 MHz frequency band, as well as the 2360-2400 MHz band, though specifically for medical body area network (MBAN) devices.
MICS provided additional flexibility to medical device developers compared to previously used inductive technologies, which required the external transceiver to touch the skin of the patient.
[8]: 652 In 2006, the FCC reevaluated the spectrum requirements at the prompting of Medtronic, which sought to expand the spectrum "to support advances in medical sensor technology and the expected proliferation of such devices, especially those used for lower-cost medical monitoring and non-emergency reporting applications.
The ETSI formalized the proposal into a standard called MEDS (with the core MICS bands remaining under that name and the new "wing" bands being referred to as MEDS) in December 2007,[3] while the FCC added the same additional spectrum to MICS and dubbed the expanded plan the Medical Device Radiocommunications Service or MedRadio in May 2009.