Digital wireless radiology consultations with a portable computer.
A wireless system for radiological subspecialist consultation based on a portable personal computer and a GSM cellular phone was tested. A link with secure access to the hospital image network was built. A total of 68 emergency computerized tomography (CT) examinations were transmitted. Transmission time via GSM for a single CT image was 1 min and for a complete head scan was 18 min. The transmitted images were acceptable for final diagnosis in 72% of the cases, the rest being acceptable for preliminary diagnosis. The diagnosis from the transmitted images did not change after a later review of the original images in 97% of cases. The wireless link saved a hospital visit by the senior radiologist in 24% of cases. The results show that a remote consultation link can be built with readily available technology and that the technique is useful in radiological subspecialist consultations for CT images.
Reponen
J
J
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital of Oulu, Finland.
Ilkko
E
E
Jyrkinen
L
L
Karhula
V
V
Tervonen
O
O
Laitinen
J
J
Leisti
E L
EL
Koivula
A
A
Suramo
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019112:Teleradiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*