The Lancashire telemedicine ambulance.
An emergency ambulance was equipped with three video-cameras and a system for transmitting slow-scan video-pictures through a cellular telephone link to a hospital accident and emergency department. Video-pictures were trasmitted at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and a frame rate of 15 pictures/min. In addition, a helmet-mounted camera was used with a wireless transmission link to the ambulance and thence the hospital. Speech was transmitted by a second hand-held cellular telephone. The equipment was installed in 1996-7 and video-recordings of actual ambulance journeys were made in July 1997. The technical feasibility of the telemedicine ambulance has been demonstrated and further clinical assessment is now in progress.
Curry
G R
GR
Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Preston, UK.
Harrop
N
N
D000552:Ambulances; D016288:Computer Terminals; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013690:Television