P Arbeille

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours, Université de Tours, Hôpital Armand-Trousseau

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Philippe Arbeille is a pioneering researcher in telemedicine and medical robotics, best known for developing tele-operated ultrasound systems that bring expert diagnostic imaging to remote and underserved locations. His work centers on tele-echography, robotic-assisted ultrasound, and space medicine, with a focus on enabling real-time, remote fetal and abdominal examinations. Arbeille led the design and validation of the ESTELE robotic arm, which allows a distant expert to control an ultrasound probe on a patient in an isolated site via ISDN or satellite link—a breakthrough demonstrated across four medical centers. His most cited paper (22 citations) reports the first successful real-time tele-operated abdominal and fetal echography using this system. He further optimized a 4-degree-of-freedom robot to replicate expert gestures with high fidelity, and applied these innovations in obstetrics and gynecology for emergency triage in Amazonia, Africa, and polar regions. With over 50 citations across his key works, Arbeille’s contributions have expanded access to specialist care, reduced diagnostic delays, and laid the groundwork for robotic tele-ultrasound in space missions and rural health networks.