Inexpensive, realtime tele-ultrasound using a commercial, web-based video streaming device.

We have devised an inexpensive, web-based tele-ultrasound system using commercially-available video streaming equipment. We examined the spatial and grey scale resolution, and the delay time of the system. The receiving PC was tested at various distances from the transmitting site, from 3.2 km to 4828 km. Standard resolution targets and echocardiography movie strips recorded on DVDs were used to assess the image quality. A qualitative assessment was made by an expert sonographer. As the distance between the transmitter and the receiver increased, the scan smoothness decreased and the delay increased. At a distance of 3.2 km the delay was 2-3 s, and at 4828 km it was 10-15 s. The delay was short enough to allow realtime guidance of the scanning technician by telephone. The system allows inexpensive, readily available, realtime tele-ultrasonography.