Robotic Echocardiography for Heart Patients

Investigators and scientists are experimenting with robotics for the past few years. In fact in many fields of diagnostic and therapeutic medicine, robotics have several practical applications. Just recently, a team of scientists have provided statistical evidence that a robotic Arm can be used via internet to perform echocardiography on patients from remote distance.

To analyze the impact, two studies were undertaken, one in Sweden and one on the other side of the Atlantic. The research findings of the Swedish study revealed that the diagnostic processing time in a number of heart-failure patients can be considerably reduced from 114 to 27 days (for the patients getting remote consultation). Additionally, the delay in receiving consultation from a specialist was condensed to 12 days from the initial 86 days (in the remote-imaging arm). Since the procedure does not involve distant travelling, most patients were more satisfied from the robotic echocardiography.

In the trans-Atlantic study, Sengupta and his peers identified that a profoundly prepared sonographer with a trainee could perform remote carotid ultrasound examination on a distant “volunteer patient”, to optimally visualize patho-physiological functioning of the carotid artery within a four minute procedure time. Expert operators have a tendency to acclimate to the telerobotic procedures, yet both unpracticed trainees and specialists were able to learn the procedure quickly, utilizing simulator “phantoms.”

The effect of robotic ultrasound may be considerably more prominent in lower income nations as per Sengupta. In the study, he also revealed that just 5% of the world’s population has access to the ultrasound.