COTS technologies for telemedicine applications

Purpose To demonstrate a simple low-cost system for tele-echocardiology, focused on paediatric cardiology applications. Methods The system was realized using open-source software and COTS technologies. It is based on the transmission of two simultaneous video streams, obtained by direct digitization of the output of an ultrasound machine and by a netcam showing the examination that is taking place. These streams are then embedded into a web page so they are accessible, together with basic video controls, via a standard web browser. The system can also record video streams on a server for further use. Results The system was tested on a small group of neonatal cases with suspected cardiopathies for a preliminary assessment of its features and diagnostic capabilities. Both the clinical and technological results were encouraging and are leading the way for further experimentation. Conclusions The presented system can transfer clinical images and videos in an efficient way and in real time. It can be used in the same hospital to support internal consultancy requests, in remote areas using Internet connections and for didactic purposes using low cost COTS appliances and simple interfaces for end users. The solution proposed can be extended to control different medical appliances in those remote hospitals.