In the Nephele project, Esaote has developed a dematerialized ultrasound medical solution that enables remote ultrasound exams with the support of a physician/operator located elsewhere. The ultrasound equipment can be controlled remotely via a dedicated web application, which also facilitates real-time video streaming of the exams. By relocating certain components outside the ultrasound equipment, hardware resource consumption will be significantly reduced.

Key features of the ultrasound device include: (I) Lightweight hardware components on the IoT side; (II) Remote control of the IoT device from a dashboard web application, utilizing MQTT messages and OMA specifications; (III) Remote video streaming of ultrasound exams through a viewer web application, based on the websocket protocol; (IV) Centralized monitoring system for all actors involved in the dematerialized solution.

Exploitation pathway

The main benefit of UC4 is to build an ultrasound software-based platform where most of the components usually inside the equipment are moved on, reducing local hardware components and consequently energy consumption.

Potentially, the platform, using standard protocols, can be used by other companies operating in the ultrasound area, integrating their equipment into the Nephele infrastructure.

How does this move beyond state of the art

Standard ultrasound medical equipment typically follows an all-in-one and stand-alone paradigm, meaning all features operate on-board without requiring an internet connection. This approach can lead to significant local hardware resource consumption, particularly in terms of CPU and GPU usage. Currently, some solutions offer specific features outside the ultrasound equipment, functioning as services running on-edge or on-cloud.

The dematerialized ultrasound medical solution goes beyond this by moving various key components outside the ultrasound equipment. This shift allows for reduced power consumption of on-board hardware components. Essentially, the paradigm changes towards an ultrasound medical platform that operates on-edge or on-cloud, with minimal hardware and software components (such as the probe) functioning as IoT devices.

KER readiness time plan and the roadmap
  • Implement and validate within Use Case 4.
  • Provide comprehensive documentation and how-to examples.
  • Acquire funding (internal or external) to further develop the platform and expand available delocalized services and features.
  • Handover the product to the ESAOTE business unit (responsible for marketing and sales) and offer consultancy services.
License
Copyright
Market potential which the KER is targeting.

Telemedicine and remote healthcare solutions are emerging trends in the healthcare industry, driven by the growing demand for ultrasound (US) examinations and advancements in miniaturization technology. This Key Exploitable Result (KER) aims to enable ultrasound exams in contexts where traditional equipment is impractical, such as rural areas or directly at patients' homes.

Smaller devices, portable ultrasound, and hand-held solutions make conducting exams in these settings more feasible compared to full trolley versions of the equipment. Consequently, we can analyze the market for portable ultrasound equipment, which is the closest solution to a fully dematerialized ultrasound platform.

Partners
Esaote
cnit
Potential adopters

Public and private hospitals and medical clinics for remote support. ESAOTE Specialists for demo or teaching purposes.

Relation to Nephele
D6.1 Use Cases Framework Definition and Initial Use Cases Execution Management and Evaluation
D6.2 Final Use Cases Execution Management and Evaluation
TRL expected
6
Type of Ker
Software
Hardware
What problem it addresses

The challenge of performing a remote ultrasound exam involves relocating ultrasound equipment features from the equipment to delocalized services, enabling remote control of the equipment and video streaming to different remote locations.