Remote guidance
Encyclopedia
Remote guidance, in the medical context, refers to the supervision or guidance of a medical task, usually a procedures or test, from a remote location. This falls in the realm of real time
telemedicine
applications. By way of example, a radiologist may guide an ultrasound
examination from a remote location. As such the proximate requisite expertise to accomplish a medical task is significantly diminished. In the previous example, a diagnostic quality ultrasound can be accomplished by non-medically trained individuals manipulating an ultrasound device located with the patient under guidance from a remote location. This is an example of teleradiology
If appropriately configured, the remote guidance can originate from another room or floor in the same building, to as far away as another continent or even planet. NASA
researchers have successfully demonstrated remote guidance of diagnostic level cardiac ultrasonography using an ultrasound on the space station, non-medical astronauts performing the exam as guided by a terrestrially located expert.
. In the tele-medical context specific to radiologic images these images often are consistent with the DICOM standard. Given bandwidth issues universally plaguing the healthcare environment imagery beyond still images and brief video has not yet become standard expectation of care environments or PACS
systems. Ultrasound scanning commonly utilized for abdomen
, musculoskeletal, pelvis, gynecologic, cardiac
and vascular
evaluations has shown potential for remote diagnosis only of late.
More general Remote Diagnostics
(RD) refers to detecting which fault or faults are present in a system, body of object, from a distance. Examples of use: aeroplanes, spacecrafts, Formula 1 and major assests such as ships,trains etc. In cases where also corrective actions are made, the term 'Remote Diagnostic & Maintenance' is more appropriate.
devices to stream such outputs to the internet.
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
applications. By way of example, a radiologist may guide an ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
examination from a remote location. As such the proximate requisite expertise to accomplish a medical task is significantly diminished. In the previous example, a diagnostic quality ultrasound can be accomplished by non-medically trained individuals manipulating an ultrasound device located with the patient under guidance from a remote location. This is an example of teleradiology
Teleradiology
Teleradiology is the transmission of radiological patient images, such as x-rays, CTs, and MRIs, from one location to another for the purposes of sharing studies with other radiologists and physicians. Teleradiology is a growth technology given that imaging procedures are growing approximately 15%...
If appropriately configured, the remote guidance can originate from another room or floor in the same building, to as far away as another continent or even planet. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
researchers have successfully demonstrated remote guidance of diagnostic level cardiac ultrasonography using an ultrasound on the space station, non-medical astronauts performing the exam as guided by a terrestrially located expert.
Remote diagnostics
Remote diagnostics refers to a real time telemedical application which achieves diagnostic level quality and information exchange. In this sense, it refers to an expectation for quality sufficient for making or excluding a medical diagnosisMedical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
. In the tele-medical context specific to radiologic images these images often are consistent with the DICOM standard. Given bandwidth issues universally plaguing the healthcare environment imagery beyond still images and brief video has not yet become standard expectation of care environments or PACS
PACS
PACS is an acronym with several meanings:*Pacte civil de solidarité, a form of civil union in France*Palo Alto Chinese School, Palo Alto, Calif.*Partial Anterior Circulation Stroke Syndrome, the symptoms of a type of an ischemic stroke...
systems. Ultrasound scanning commonly utilized for abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
, musculoskeletal, pelvis, gynecologic, cardiac
Human heart
The human heart is a muscular organ that provides a continuous blood circulation through the cardiac cycle and is one of the most vital organs in the human body...
and vascular
Vascular
Vascular in zoology and medicine means "related to blood vessels", which are part of the circulatory system. An organ or tissue that is vascularized is heavily endowed with blood vessels and thus richly supplied with blood....
evaluations has shown potential for remote diagnosis only of late.
More general Remote Diagnostics
Remote diagnostics
Remote diagnostics is the act of diagnosing a given symptom, issue or problem from a distance. Instead of the subject being colocated with the person or system doing the diagnostics, with remote diagnostics the subjects can be separated by physical distance...
(RD) refers to detecting which fault or faults are present in a system, body of object, from a distance. Examples of use: aeroplanes, spacecrafts, Formula 1 and major assests such as ships,trains etc. In cases where also corrective actions are made, the term 'Remote Diagnostic & Maintenance' is more appropriate.
Technical aspects
While still imagery can be e-mailed and forwarded in a multitude of methods, video product of medical devices has typically not been available for remote interaction. Recent improvements in scanning devices, for example ultrasound machines has facilitated this new capability. The inclusion of the VGA output gives the opportunity for frame grabberFrame grabber
A frame grabber is an electronic device that captures individual, digital still frames from an analog video signal or a digital video stream. It is usually employed as a component of a computer vision system, in which video frames are captured in digital form and then displayed, stored or...
devices to stream such outputs to the internet.