Remote abdominal and fetal echography in 4 isolated medical centers from the university hospital using a tele-operated robotic arm (a 4 month pilot study)

Objective: To validate a method for tele-operating (from an expert site) in routine, an echographic examination in isolated sites where the patient stay. Method: We used the robotic arm (ESTELE) holding a real ultrasound probe remotely controlled from the expert site with a fictive probe, and that reproduces on the real probe all the movements of the expert (sonographer) hand. The isolated places, are areas with reduced medical facilities: secondary hospitals 20 to 100km from the main hospital in Europ, dispensaries in Africa, Amazonia, a rescue vehicles where there is only a general practitioner and/or non sono…