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Image Quality in Real-Time Teleultrasound of Infant Hip Exam Over Low-Bandwidth Internet Links: a Transatlantic Feasibility Study

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Abstract

Evolution of communication systems, especially internet-based technologies, has probably affected Radiology more than any other medical specialty. Tremendous increase in internet bandwidth has enabled a true revolution in image transmission and easy remote viewing of the static images and real-time video stream. Previous reports of real-time telesonography, such as the ones developed for emergency situations and humanitarian work, rely on high compressions of images utilized by remote sonologist to guide and supervise the unexperienced examiner. We believe that remote sonology could be also utilized in teleultrasound exam of infant hip. We tested feasibility of a low-cost teleultrasound system for infant hip and performed data analysis on the transmitted and original images. Transmission of data was accomplished with Remote Ultrasound (RU), a software package specifically designed for teleultrasound transmission through limited internet bandwidth. While image analysis of image pairs revealed statistically significant loss of information, panel evaluation failed to recognize any clinical difference between the original saved and transmitted still images.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the associate professor Petar Milin for statistical data analyzes. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the personal collaboration of our colleges in the University of Novi Sad Medical faculty: associate Professor Lazar Petkovic, associate professor Djordje Gajdobranski, associate professor Dusan Maric, teaching assistant Aleksandar Marcikic, and Dr. Vladimir Tomasevic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical faculty “Mihajlo Pupin” Zrenjanin, University of Novi Sad, Djure Djakovica bb, 23000, Zrenjanin, Republic of Serbia

    Dobrivoje Martinov

  2. Department of Radiology, Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA, 01805, USA

    Veljko Popov

  3. Department of Radiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    Robert D. Harris

  4. Units for scientific-educational researches, Department for quality and scientific-educational researches, General Hospital “Djordje Joanovic” Zrenjanin, Dr Vase Savica 5, 23000, Zrenjanin, Republic of Serbia

    Dobrivoje Martinov & Zoran Ignjatov

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  1. Dobrivoje Martinov
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  2. Veljko Popov
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  3. Zoran Ignjatov
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  4. Robert D. Harris
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Correspondence to Dobrivoje Martinov.

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Martinov, D., Popov, V., Ignjatov, Z. et al. Image Quality in Real-Time Teleultrasound of Infant Hip Exam Over Low-Bandwidth Internet Links: a Transatlantic Feasibility Study. J Digit Imaging 26, 209–216 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-012-9512-4

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