“Smaller secondary hospitals do not necessarily have expert radiologists available on site,” explains ESA biomedical engineer Arnaud Runge. “This in the past has led to problems, with for instance, pregnant women having to travel hundreds of kilometres for an examination. However one small company is reusing the knowledge gained during past ESA telemedicine projects to market a remote-controlled ultrasound system allowing an expert radiologist to perform exams on patients from hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.»
“Our system is so simple that the operator at the side of the patient does not need to have any specific medical knowledge to assist the remote radiologist during the exam,”says Nicolas Lefebvre, Managing Director of AdEchoTech. “The operator can also be guided via audio-visual link with the doctor, additionally allowing the patient to establish direct contact.”
ESA recently completed a trial with four European defence ministries, making the technology available to military garrisons based in Lebanon and Afghanistan. The tele-echography technology has also been tested successfully on oil platforms off West Africa and inland clinics in French Guiana.