A public research institute has developed a system that can send high-definition video of a patient from an ambulance to a hospital via cell phone.
The system was developed through a collaborative project in Ibaraki Prefecture by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, and the Tsukuba Fire Headquarters.
The AIST said the system would be tested in the city by year end and would go on sale nationwide in April.
To accommodate the system, ambulances will be modified to carry a video camera, laptop computer and special antenna.
At the flick of a switch, paramedics will activate the system, enabling a hospital doctor to examine a patient via remote control video camera.
New technology has made it possible to compress high-definition image data enough to allow its transmission by cell phone.
The images will make it possible for doctors to dispense appropriate advice to paramedics.
According to national statistics, it takes an average of 21 minutes to transport an emergency patient to hospital.
Yomiuri Shimbun
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