MUSTPAC/sup TM/ 3-D ultrasound telemedicine/telepresence system

MUSTPAC/sup TM/ is a family of ultrasound telemedicine systems based on the use of 3-D (volumetric) data acquisition. Diagnostically useful scans can be taken by an operator with limited training and no ultrasound diagnostic skills, using a simple "point-and-shoot" procedure. For diagnosis, volumetric datasets are transmitted to a remote radiologist, who uses a "virtual ultrasound probe" to reslice the datasets along arbitrary planes, using familiar hand movements and seeing 2-D (planar) displays similar to those of a conventional real-time hands-on examination. Prototype MUSTPAC/sup TM/ systems have operated in a military field hospital and on a Mt. Everest climbing expedition, and are currently being evaluated for clinical application in rural and remote environments.