Pilot study of tele-ultrasound exam over low-bandwidth internet links: Feasibility of clinical application

Abstract

Telemedicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes remote medical procedures or examinations. In this paper we tested feasibility of the low-cost teleultrasound model for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) exam in variety of network settings and computer configurations. Sending of data was accomplished with a software package specifically designed at Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA for teleultrasound transmission through limited Internet bandwidth. Hardware and software solution used for teleultrasound screening showed good characteristics for ultrasound image transmission in real-time. Clinical application of this model includes consultation and training at a distance while for the navigation or management of an ultrasound examination at a distance, the delay is in one of the limiting factors.