3G Wireless Communications for Mobile Robotic Tele-Ultrasonography Systems
ABSTRACT
Mobile healthcare (m-health) is a newparadigm that brings together the evolution ofemerging wireless communications and networktechnologies with the concept of ‘connectedhealthcare’ anytime and anywhere. In this article,we present the performance analysis of anend-to-end mObile Tele-Echography using anultra-Light rObot (OTELO), over the third-generation(3G) mobile communications network.The experimental setup of the OTELO systemover a 3G connectivity page link used to measure thesystem performance is described. The performanceof the relevant medical data and the relevantquality of service (QoS) issues defined interms of the average throughput, delta-timepacket delay, and jitter delay are investigated.The real-time 3G performance results show thesuccessful operation of this bandwidth demandingrobotic m-health system.
INTRODUCTION
M-Health has been defined as “mobile computing,medical sensor, and communications technologiesfor healthcare” [1]. This emergingconcept represents the evolution of e-health systemsfrom traditional desktop “telemedicine”platforms to wireless and mobile configurations.Current and emerging developments in wirelesscommunications integrated with developments inpervasive and wearable technologies will have aradical impact on future healthcare delivery systems.One of the new areas of advanced mobilehealthcare applications that has not beenexplored and investigated in detail is the wirelessrobotic tele-ultrasonography (U.S.) system.It is well known clinically that ultrasoundscanning is a well-established noninvasivemethod that is easy to use and very well adaptedfor routine clinical examinations in specialistmedical centres and hospitals. However, most ofthe available portable ultrasonography and existingultrasonography systems require the expertto carry out the examination on site. Althoughthese systems offer quick and reliable noninvasivediagnosis in many clinical scenarios, themajor drawback of these portable ultrasoundsystems is that they are not available in smallmedical centres, isolated sites, and rescue vehiclesin emergency cases. Their usefulness isdependent on the operator’s (expert) skills. Insuch circumstances, robotic tele-ultrasonographycould be useful. In addition, such robotictelemedicine systems could be very valuable fortraining in nonspecialist sonograph remote medicalcentres, and can also be valuable for expertopinion in combat and military scenarios as well.The wider availability of 3G systems in mostof the European and developing countries willinevitably allow the wider use of such wirelessrobotic m-health systems, especially in remoteand isolated areas, which will certainly reflect onbetter healthcare efficiency and improved medicalcare in these countries.One of the first ultrasound telemedicine studieson remote examinations was reported in themid-1990s, where the ultrasound video imagesacquired by the technician at the patient’s sidewere transmitted to a medical expert [2]. However,these systems were not efficient enough forproper medical validation because of their‘expert dependency’ on the relevant ultrasoundexamination.In 1998, videoconferencing was used betweentwo experts, with one of them was performingthe echography examination [3]. Both expertscould simultaneously discuss the obtained ultrasoundimage, and the expert who was distantfrom the patient could suggest a different probeorientation to his peer for better observationand analysis of the area of interest. In 2000, theEuropean project TeleInVivo was developed [4],in which the echography was performed by aclinical expert standing next to the patient, thenultrasound data were sent via satellite to a database station and processed to reconstruct a 3Drepresentation of anatomical regions of interest[5].In Japan, tele-operated robots have been setup to perform a remote ultrasound examinationbetween two nearby sites with terrestrial communications


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