Wireless Applications in Mobile Telemedicine Kent Tonkin Assistant
Wireless Applications in Mobile Telemedicine Kent Tonkin, Assistant Director for IT, CERMUSA
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas CERMUSA Defined • Research Center • Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA • Identify Sustainable Technology Solutions for improved ACCESS to quality healthcare and education in rural, isolated and/or under-served areas.
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Medical Communications Needs • Continuous audio communication • Vital signs (EKG, SPO 2) • “Offline” data storage
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Technology Overview Technology Goals • • Vital signs Images/motion video Multiple pipelines Use of public infrastructure vs. establishing infrastructure
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Technology Overview Technology Difficulties • • Sporadic mobile coverage Questionable bandwidth Combined pipelines Relevant equipment availability
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Technology Overview • Currently using AMPS, Spread Spectrum (2. 4 GHz) and UHF (licensing in process) • Attempted transmission: Audio, patient data/vitals, video
The Plan Intelligent Router UHF Spread Spectrum Other Cellular VHF Hospital Receive Site
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Difficulties so far…. • Bandwidth, bandwidth • IP routing over low bandwidth • Handling other forms of data
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Video from an Ambulance? • • H. 323 VTC 2. 4 GHz Spread Spectrum Dual mobile and fixed antennae Variable coverage/line of sight
Mobile H. 323 Gateway Stand-alone IP VTC Wireless TCP/IP Network Connection Gateway Public Network
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Will it work? • Best possible outcomes will continue to improve • More bandwidth=more possibilities • All communications converge on single standard
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas Next Steps • New “diversity” switch • Satellite data • Experimentation on “real world” bandwidth (4800 -19. 2 kbps) • Digital radios
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas New Technology Challenges • • • Cost/Investment How “standard” are standards? Quality Path of progression (3 G) Security Technology conflicts
Questions? www. cermusa. francis. edu
- Slides: 14