Transcript First Responder Emergency Communications-Mobile (FREC-M)

Wireless Applications in
Mobile Telemedicine
Kent Tonkin,
Assistant Director for IT,
CERMUSA
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
CERMUSA Defined
• Research Center
• Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA
• Identify Sustainable Technology
Solutions for improved ACCESS to
quality healthcare and education in
rural, isolated and/or under-served
areas.
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Medical Communications Needs
• Continuous audio communication
• Vital signs (EKG, SPO2)
• “Offline” data storage
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Technology Overview
Technology Goals
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Vital signs
Images/motion video
Multiple pipelines
Use of public infrastructure
vs. establishing
infrastructure
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Technology Overview
Technology Difficulties
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Sporadic mobile coverage
Questionable bandwidth
Combined pipelines
Relevant equipment
availability
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Technology Overview
• Currently using AMPS, Spread Spectrum
(2.4 GHz) and UHF (licensing in process)
•Attempted transmission: Audio, patient
data/vitals, video
The Plan
Intelligent
Router
Other
Cellular
UHF VHF
Spread
Spectrum
Hospital Receive Site
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Difficulties so far….
• Bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth
• IP routing over low bandwidth
• Handling other forms of data
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Video from an Ambulance?
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H.323 VTC
2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum
Dual mobile and fixed antennae
Variable coverage/line of sight
Mobile H.323 Gateway
Stand-alone IP VTC
Wireless
TCP/IP
Network
Connection
Gateway
Public
Network
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Will it work?
• Best possible outcomes will continue to
improve
• More bandwidth=more possibilities
• All communications converge on single
standard
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
Next Steps
• New “diversity” switch
• Satellite data
• Experimentation on “real world”
bandwidth (4800-19.2kbps)
• Digital radios
The Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Under-Served Areas
New Technology Challenges
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Cost/Investment
How “standard” are standards?
Quality
Path of progression (3G)
Security
Technology conflicts
Questions?
www.cermusa.francis.edu