Telemedicine in ultrasound: New solutions

The transport of dynamic ultrasound (US) pictures as video files or streams no longer presents a problem. Despite teleconferencing, this method of tra nsfer provides no active influence on the data sent for the receiving exper t. We are evaluating a software-based 3-D US system that provides the new o pportunity of an active US re-evaluation of a virtual patient. The 3-D volu mes can be reanalysed, time- and examiner-independent, wherever the device is installed. To test the clinical feasibility of this virtual US investiga tion, we installed the device in a peripheral hospital and in our US unit. The transfer of the volume (about 10 to 15 MB) could be done with two paral lel Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines with a conduction capa city of 128 KB/s. In this basic assessment, the transmission of US volumes of patients proved to be easy in the acquisition, quick in off-line transmi ssion and reliable in off-line re-evaluation of the data.