Cardiac ultrasonography over 4G wireless networks using a tele-operated robot

[摘要] This Letter proposes an end-to-end mobile tele-echography platform using a portable robot for remote cardiac ultrasonography. Performance evaluation investigates the capacity of long-term evolution (LTE) wireless networks to facilitate responsive robot tele-manipulation and real-time ultrasound video streaming that qualifies for clinical practice. Within this context, a thorough video coding standards comparison for cardiac ultrasound applications is performed, using a data set of ten ultrasound videos. Both objective and subjective (clinical) video quality assessment demonstrate that H.264/AVC and high efficiency video coding standards can achieve diagnostically-lossless video quality at bitrates well within the LTE supported data rates. Most importantly, reduced latencies experienced throughout the live tele-echography sessions allow the medical expert to remotely operate the robot in a responsive manner, using the wirelessly communicated cardiac ultrasound video to reach a diagnosis. Based on preliminary results documented in this Letter, the proposed robotised tele-echography platform can provide for reliable, remote diagnosis, achieving comparable quality of experience levels with in-hospital ultrasound examinations.

[学科分类] 肠胃与肝脏病学

[关键词] biomedical ultrasonics;cardiology;medical robotics;telemedicine;Long Term Evolution;4G wireless networks;teleoperated robot;end-to-end mobile teleechography platform;portable robot;remote cardiac ultrasonography;long-term evolution;LTE wireless networks;responsive robot telemanipulation;real-time ultrasound video streaming;video coding standards;video quality;teleechography sessions;cardiac ultrasound video;robotised teleechography platform;remote diagnosis;in-hospital ultrasound examination