-
ABSTRACT
- Robotic part
- Ultrasound
images
- Communication
parts
- Force feedback
ABSTRACT
Millions of people live in isolated sites (deserted areas, tropical
forest, ...), in area with poor medical assistance (dispensaries,
secondary hospital), or wait to be rescued by an emergency vehicle:
there will be a need to perform quick and reliable diagnosis to
evaluate the gravity of the pathology in presence of clinical symptoms.
Many pathological situations (abnormal heart rate, pericardia collection,
mitral prolaps, cholecystis, renal lithiasis, normal and ectopic
pregnancies, ovarian cyst, acute appendicitis, phlebitis...) may
occur at any time. Echography and Doppler are non-invasive methods
easy to use and very well adapted for routine examination such as
for hospital. Unfortunately, many small medical centers, isolated
sites, or rescue vehicles do not have the appropriate well trained
sonographer to perform the first echography from which the evaluation
of the emergency level could be done.
The mObile Tele-Echography using an ultra Light rObot project proposes
a portable tele-operated device allowing a sonographer to perform
an echography without being near the patient. This project started
on September 2001 and will be achieved on March 2004. It includes
an expert station from which the expert (a sonographer) orientates
a fictive probe. These movements are reproduced at patient station,
several miles away, on a real probe held by the 6DOF robot and positionned
on the patient by a paramedic. An audio/video link between the two
sites allows communication between the expert, the assistant and
the patient. The clinical tests will start in February 2003.
|
|
|
