DEPLOYABLE TELERADIOLOGY AND TELEMEDICINE FOR THE US MILITARY

The US military has been an effective proponent of digital imaging and teleradiology for the past 15 years. A digital imaging network that c an eliminate the use of X-ray film can make the requirements simpler f or military medicine. X-ray film requires the storage of new, unexpose d films that have a fixed shelf life, and the storage and use of chemi cals and water for processing. In some deployed situations, the chemic al discharge has to be collected and shipped out of the deployed area. The technology of electronic imaging is therefore intrinsically impor tant to military medicine. In December of 1995, the US government star ted to deploy 20000 US troops to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of NATO's peace keeping operation (IFOR). A full complement of medical support f acilities was to be established in the Bosnia region and Hungary where the deployment was staged. Primetime III was a project to deploy tele medicine and teleradiology capabilities linking these medical treatmen t facilities (MTF). The deployment of telemedicine was not the respons ibility of our engineering team. This paper deals with the deployable teleradiology (DEPRAD) system that was installed by the ISIS Center at a number of facilities for filmless radiology and teleradiology servi ces. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.