Computed Tomography For Remote Areas Via Teleradiology

The high cost of computed tomography scanners has limited their availability to secondary and tertiary hospitals only, although they are very desirable at all medical centers. We are developing techniques which should enable reconstructive tomography to be carried out from a set of radiographs taken at different angles using standard, overhead radiographic units which are available at many primary health care units. By adding tele-communication links between health care centers at remote sites and a central medical computing facility, it would be possible, for example, to provide computed tomographic facilities for the 50 such sites in Manitoba at a capital cost equal to that of a single commercial scanner.