Tohoku University has newly developed a prototype of communications system that can easily send biological information with multiple high-definition images, and established a consortium relating to the above on March 4, 2009. The main purpose of the consortium is to provide the ubiquitous communications system for home-visit medical services, mass examination, emergency care, and disaster areas. The consortium consists of Tohoku University, Sony Corporation, Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd., OMRON HEALTHCARE Co., Ltd., HONDA ELECTRONICS Co., Ltd., WILLCOM, Inc., Net One Systems Co., Ltd., and Three Links Co., Ltd.

 

Recently, healthcare costs in Japan have continued to rise because of growing elderly population, and regional gaps of healthcare service have been increasing. Especially in Tohoku district, shortage of physicians causes many regional hub hospitals to have difficulties in management. Information and communications technology (ICT) in medicine has gathered attention to solve these problems.

 

Tohoku University has established Division of Medical Engineering and Clinical Investigation at Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer in April, 2003. The university has conducted researches mainly on telemedicine to realize the concept of “ICT-based outpatient care”. Tohoku University, Miyagi prefecture, and Sendai city have been promoting the Sendai Area Knowledge Cluster Initiative (Stage II) with the aim of creating advanced preventive health care services since October, 2007. In line with the Sendai Area Knowledge Cluster Initiative project, the consortium decided to develop telemedicine systems that can easily send biological information with multiple high-definition images. Tohoku University, in collaboration with the Sendai Area Knowledge Cluster Initiative, announces the establishment of the consortium, and introduces a prototype system, “Electronic Doctor’s Bag”, as described below.

 

1. The Electronic Doctor’s Bag has functions to send biological information such as electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and high-definition images or sound to doctors at distant places by using PHS or cellular phone in the mobile environment.

2. Establishment of secure communications by person authentication and encrypted communication

3. Sending high-definition images from patients to doctors provides just like Face-to-Face examination.

4. The ubiquitous system can be used in places without Internet access, including ordinary households or moving vehicles such as ambulances. It will also be available for home-visit medical services, mass examination, emergency care or disaster.

5. The system can flexibly meet diverse health care needs for various conditions and diseases in combination with portable measurement devices.

6. The system is based on a personal computer, and can control biological data or medical records as digital data. Thus, it can be used in conjunction with electronic medical charts and online medical bill processing systems in the future.

 

[Contact]

Professor Makoto Yoshizawa

Research Division on Advanced Information Technology, Cyberscience Center, Tohoku University

Tel: +81 22-795-7128

E-mail: yoshizawa@isc.tohoku.ac.jp