A flexible telepathology system

Abstract

Telepathology systems involving robotic controls are often very expensive and hard to justify by telepathology providers. In this paper, a telepathology system is discussed which costs less than $25,000 while supplying excellent diagnostic-functionality and network connectivity. The architecture proposed allows for dynamic interaction between pathologists that scales to the network bandwidth. Three important factors influence diagnostic accuracy in a telepathology system. First, preliminary data supports that dynamic systems perform better than static ones mainly because of better physician interaction and the ability to visualize the proper subset of diagnostic clues. Second, a frame rate below 8 frames/sec will not convey sufficient information for real-time interaction. Last, synchronization of the video between the 2 sites ensures that proper fields are transmitted. When considering telepathology systems, one must weigh the benefits, and the costs involved in the implementation. This design represents the compromise between robotic control and static systems.