Comparison between High- and Low-Cost Transmission of Tele-Anesthesia in Japan.

Background: We previously reported a tele-anesthesia system that connected Sado General Hospital (SGH) to Yokohama City University Hospital (YCUH) using a dedicated virtual private network (VPN) that guaranteed the quality of service. The study indicated certain unresolved problems, such as the high cost of constantly using a dedicated VPN for tele-anesthesia. In this study, we assessed whether use of a best-effort system affects the safety and cost of tele-anesthesia in a clinical setting. Methods: One hundred patients were enrolled in this study. We provided tele-anesthesia for 65 patients using a guaranteed transmission system (20 Mbit/s; guaranteed, 372,000 JPY per month: 1 JPY = US$0.01) and for 35 patients using a best-effort system (100 Mbit/s; not guaranteed, 25,000 JPY per month). We measured transmission speed and number of commands completed from YCUH to SGH during tele-anesthesia with both transmission systems. Results: In the guaranteed system, anesthesia duration was 5780 min (88.9 min/case) and surgical duration was 3513 min (54.0 min/case). In the best-effort system, anesthesia duration was 3725 min (106.4 min/case) and surgical duration was 2105 min (60.1 min/case). The average transmission speed in the best-effort system was 17.3 ± 3.8 Mbit/s. The system provided an acceptable delay time and frame rate in clinical use. All commands were completed, and no adverse events occurred with both systems. Discussion: In the field of tele-anesthesia, using a best-effort internet VPN system provided equivalent safety and efficacy at a better price as compared to using a guaranteed internet VPN system.

A pilot study of tele-anaesthesia by virtual private network between an island hospital and a mainland hospital in Japan.

We studied the use of tele-anaesthesia between Sado General Hospital (SGH) located on Sado Island and Yokohama City University Hospital (YCUH) located in mainland Japan. The two sites were connected via a virtual private network (VPN). We investigated the relationship between the bandwidth of the VPN and both the frame rate and the delay time of the tele-anaesthesia monitoring system. The tool used for communication between the two hospitals was free videoconferencing software (FaceTime), which can be used over Wi-Fi connections. We also investigated the accuracy of the commands given during teleanaesthesia: any commands from the anaesthetist at the YCUH that were not carried out for any reason, were recorded in the anaesthetic records at the SGH. The original frame rate and data rate at the SGH were 5 fps and approximately 18 Mbit/s, respectively. The frame rate at the transmission speeds of 1, 5 and 20 Mbit/s was 0.6, 1.6 and 5.0 fps, respectively. The corresponding delay time was 12.2, 4.9 and 0.7 s. Twenty-five adult patients were enrolled in the study and tele-anaesthesia was performed. The total duration of anaesthesia was 37 hours. All 888 anaesthetic commands were completed. There were 7 FaceTime disconnections, which lasted for 10 min altogether. Because no commands needed to be given during the FaceTime disconnection, the telephone was not used. The anaesthesia assistance system might form part of the solution to medical resource shortages.

FaceTime(®) for teaching ultrasound-guided anesthetic procedures in remote place.

In isolated area in Japan, only one anesthesiologist must often do new anesthetic techniques such as ultrasound-guided procedures without receiving any teaching. One solution to this problem may involve teleanesthesia, by which experienced anesthesiologists teach novices in remote places, by utilizing information communication technologies. FaceTime™ (Apple, USA), which provides 120p of the resolution and 30 frames per second (fps) is an application of free visual communications using iPod Touch™, iPhone™ or iPad™ (Apple, USA). We investigated the delay time, the loss of the frames and the picture quality of iPad (as the device in the teaching site) in combination with iPod Touch, iPhone4 or iPhone5 (as the device in the isolated site) during FaceTime. At the operating rooms in Sado General Hospital (SGH) located in Sado Island (population; approximately 60,000), Japan, an anesthesiologist prepared 3 mobile devices (iPod Touch, iPhone4 or iPhone5). He called the other anesthesiologist at Yokohama City University Hospital (YCUH; approximately 300 km apart) by FaceTime using 1 of 3 mobile devices. The anesthesiologist at YCUH received the FaceTime call using iPad. After the connection was established, the display of the same cervical ultrasound image at SGH was sent to YCUH to evaluate the distinctness visually. Then we measured the delay time of every second (n = 60) and the loss of the frames (total frames = 30 fps × 60 s = 1,800) in each device for a minute. P < 0.01 was statistically significant. The quality of the pictures on the iPad display sent from iPhone5 was distinctly the best visually. The delay time of iPhone5 was significantly longer than the others (iPod Touch; 0.14 ± 0.02 s, iPhone4; 0.13 ± 0.02 s, iPhone5; 0.19 ± 0.03 s), but clinically acceptable. The loss of the frames of iPhone5 (20; 1.1%) was significantly less than the others (iPhone4; 900, 50.0%, iPod Touch; 902, 50.1%). To teach anesthetic techniques in remote place by FaceTime, iPhone5 as the devise in isolate site was optimum compared with iPod Touch and iPhone4.