Evaluating the role of gigabit speed wide-area networks in remote medical treatment

Walid Gabriel Tohme; James E. Rodgers; Seong Ki Mun; Matthew T. Freedman M.D.; Mark Hansen; Jay F. Cook; George Popescu; David Y. Yun; Hong-Mei Chen Garcia

doi:10.1117/12.208770

12 May 1995 Evaluating the role of gigabit speed wide-area networks in remote medical treatment

Walid Gabriel Tohme, James E. Rodgers, Seong Ki Mun, Matthew T. Freedman M.D., Mark Hansen, Jay F. Cook, George Popescu, David Y. Yun, Hong-Mei Chen Garcia

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2435, Medical Imaging 1995: PACS Design and Evaluation: Engineering and Clinical Issues; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208770
Event: Medical Imaging 1995, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

This paper assesses the utility of gigabit speed wide-area networks such as the ACTS (Advanced Communication Technology Satellite) in enabling the delivery of medical expertise and service to remote regions, providing radiation treatment planning with access to supercomputers, and conducting workload redistribution. The first part of this multi- institutional effort between the University of Hawaii, Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) uses a T1-VSAT (very small aperture terminal) for transmitting teleradiology images. The second part of the project uses high data rate (HDR) communications through the ACTS satellite at OC-3 transmission speeds (155 Mbps). This allows 3-D volume rendering of radiation therapy planning images between GUMC and OSC as well as the transmission of high-volume teleradiology loads between Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) and GUMC. It is shown that while the bandwidth required to perform 3D interactive radiation treatment planning is around 300 Mbps, OC-3 rates can be adequate. Another important application is workload redistribution either for hospitals that need to reroute a certain percentage of their workload to other institutions of the same magnitude but with different subspecialties or for peak workload leveling. This paper shows that gigabit speed wide area networks such as the ACTS-HDR network are required in order to achieve effective remote treatment planning as well as high volume teleradiology for workload redistribution.

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Walid Gabriel Tohme, James E. Rodgers, Seong Ki Mun, Matthew T. Freedman M.D., Mark Hansen, Jay F. Cook, George Popescu, David Y. Yun, and Hong-Mei Chen Garcia "Evaluating the role of gigabit speed wide-area networks in remote medical treatment", Proc. SPIE 2435, Medical Imaging 1995: PACS Design and Evaluation: Engineering and Clinical Issues, (12 May 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208770

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