Telemedicine

Digital Cameras for Rural Telemedicine

Low-cost digital cameras can be used by rural health care providers to send images to regional medical centers for consulation with specialists. One source of these cameras may be the new generation of high resolution camera phone. With approximately 130 million cell phones entering the waste stream each year, ^[1] these phones will eventually be available for free.

• 

  Fig. 1 Digital cameras can be used to send X-ray images from remote areas to specialists in regional medical centers.

• 

  Fig. 2 A digital camera with macro lenses is mounted with a standard otoscope.

• 

  Fig. 3 Images of EKG's can also be transmitted digitally

• 

  Fig. 4 This microscopic image was taken by mounting a digital camera to a microscope

In telemedicine, devices are used for easy patient-physician treatments or check-ups. Richard Kimball of HEXL points out that wearable technology aids in cost-effective and more efficient care for patients.^[2]

External links

Microsoft Research & Programs: Cell Phone as a Platform for Healthcare Awards

Ralph Peter Braun, MD et. al. Telemedical Wound Care Using a New Generation of Mobile Telephones: A Feasibility Study Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:254-258.

Upkar Varshney Using wireless technologies in healthcare International Journal of Mobile Communications Vol. 4, No. 3 / 2006 p. 354 - 368 Upkar Varshney is at Department of Computer Information Systems, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4015, USA

Satellife

DICOM Introduction and free software - DICOM is the standard file format and transfer protocol for clinical imaging modalities. It is already in wide use to allow remote emergency clinics to get an expert opinion from a distant specialist by use of Internet file transfers.

References

Template:Reflist