MELODY SYSTEM: MEDICAL EXPERTISE ACROSS DISTANCES

Robotized Tele-Echography System from AdEchoTech

The MELODY system is a robotized tele-echography system that allows first class echographies to be carried even when the patient and clinician are 1,000’s of kilometres apart. The system, from French-based AdEchoTech combines expertise in medicine, robotics and telecommunications and involves an expert center, a robotic arm and a satellite link (which connects patient site and expert site). Robotized tele-echography is a new concept inspired by research carried out in space medicine on how to treat patients who are physically isolated from the expert clinician, as in astronauts in space. Exploratory studies conducted by Professor Arbeille in France led to a successful test by Bourges Robotics IUT in 1998, where a tele-echography was carried out at the summit of Shisha Pangma in the Himalayas. The robot prototype used was the first of its kind and was controlled by Prof. Arbeille during the procedure.

The MELODY system is the realisation of nearly 20 years of work into the field of tele-echography and although only on the market since 2013, it has been used in French Guiana and elsewhere since 2011. It allows patients in isolated areas to receive an echography conducted by a specialist located many kilometres away. The clinical specialist located in at the expert site links with the patient site via satellite and manipulates the robot arm (located in the patient site) using a hand-held control. The clinician is assisted by a medical professional located at the patient site (which may be a hospital or out in the field, ambulance etc,.). There are several versions of the MELODY system depending on the clients needs and it can be sold separately of the videoconference system and the ultrasound imaging station.