New studies reveal that using robot arm technology to conduct remote echocardiograms can achieve accuracy levels comparable to those performed by cardiologists in person, offering new alternatives for patients with limited access to healthcare.
Research showcased at the ESC Congress 2024 in London, UK (August 30 – September 2) indicates that echocardiograms carried out remotely through a 5G cellular network display accuracy on par with those conducted by cardiologists on-site.
“Conducting a detailed echocardiographic examination with a 5G cellular network and a robotic arm-based remote system is practical and demonstrates good diagnostic precision,” noted Dr. Yu Liu from Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai, China, who authored the study.
Echocardiography serves as a crucial test for the early assessment of several heart conditions, requiring a cardiologist’s expertise for the results’ interpretation. Unfortunately, this expertise is often scarce or entirely absent in rural areas or smaller cities. Though robotic arm-assisted remote echocardiograms have been explored for teleconsultation in earlier research, such studies mostly focused on heart failure patients due to past challenges like network delays and difficulties in controlling robotic arm equipment.
This particular study evaluated the practicality and diagnostic precision of a robotic arm-enabled echocardiography system over a 5G cellular network from an outpatient clinic located 20 kilometers from Zhongshan Hospital. A total of 51 patients participated, all receiving both standard echocardiography via the remote robotic arm system and conventional echocardiography at Zhongshan Hospital, with the two methods administered in succession.
The sequence of examinations—remote and conventional—was assigned randomly to the patients, with no breaks between the two. Each examination was performed by different experienced cardiologists who were blind to each other’s findings. The cardiologist using the remote setup was randomly selected and had not received specific prior training for this technology. The examinations were conducted in real-time, with immediate diagnosis provided following the procedures.
Among the 51 patients, the imaging quality was adequate for diagnosis in 50 (of which 24, or 48%, were female). One patient was excluded due to the inability to acquire some crucial views via the remote system, resulting in a technical success rate of 98% for the examinations.
Interestingly, the remote echocardiograms provided the same diagnoses as conventional echocardiography in 98% of the cases, with only one instance of missed papillary muscle obstruction.
The duration for image capture using remote echocardiography was significantly longer—approximately 50% longer—than the conventional method (24 minutes and 36 seconds versus 16 minutes and 15 seconds).
A prior iteration of the robotic arm has received clearance for clinical use in abdominal scans in regions like China, Europe, Australia, and Singapore—though those scans are generally simpler than echocardiograms. Nevertheless, the authors emphasize the need for a larger multi-site study involving local hospitals and referral centers before widespread implementation of this new technology.
While 5G technology isn’t universally available, lead author Xianhong Shu from Zhongshan Hospital expressed: “This system can enhance access to superior medical services, as patients may not need to travel as far for cardiac diagnosis and consultations with cardiologists based in referral centers.”
She also highlighted several additional advantages: “Employing a remote robotic echocardiography system can offer greater protection for healthcare professionals during pandemics like COVID-19, since cardiologists wouldn’t need to be in close proximity to patients when only echocardiographic consultations are required.”
