Feasibility of a 5G-Based Robot-Assisted Remote Ultrasound System for Cardiopulmonary Assessment of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for cardiopulmonary assessment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pose risks to both patients and examiners. This necessitates a remote examination of such patients without sacrificing information quality. RESEARCH QUESTION: The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 5G-based robotassisted remote ultrasound system in examining patients with COVID-19 and to establish an examination protocol for telerobotic ultrasound scanning. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with COVID-19 were included and divided into two groups. Twelve were nonsevere cases, and 11 were severe cases. All patients underwent a 5G-based robot-assisted remote ultrasound system examination of the lungs and heart following an established protocol. Distribution characteristics and morphology of the lung and surrounding tissue lesions, left ventricular ejection fraction, ventricular area ratio, pericardial effusion, and examination-related complications were recorded. Bilateral lung lesions were evaluated by using a lung ultrasound score. RESULTS: The remote ultrasound system successfully and safely performed cardiopulmonary examinations of all patients. Peripheral lung lesions were clearly evaluated. Severe cases of COVID-19 had significantly more diseased regions (median [interquartile range], 6.0 [2.0-11.0] vs 1.0 [0.0-2.8]) and higher lung ultrasound scores (12.0 [4.0-24.0] vs 2.0 [0.0-4.0]) than nonsevere cases of COVID-19 (both, P < .05). One nonsevere case (8.3%; 95% CI, 1.5-35.4) and three severe cases (27.3%; 95% CI, 9.7-56.6) were complicated by pleural effusions. Four severe cases (36.4%; 95% CI, 15.2-64.6) were complicated by pericardial effusions (vs 0% of nonsevere cases, P < .05). No patients had significant examination-related complications. INTERPRETATION: Use of the 5G-based robot-assisted remote ultrasound system is feasible and effectively obtains ultrasound characteristics for cardiopulmonary assessment of patients with COVID-19. By following established protocols and considering medical history, clinical manifestations, and laboratory markers, this system might help to evaluate the severity of COVID-19 remotely.

A 5G-powered robot-assisted teleultrasound diagnostic system in an intensive care unit

“…In the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, high-resolution CT (HRCT) imaging was widely used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 due to its high spatial resolution. However, potential hazards still remain with regards to this procedure [ 12 , 13 ]. At present, increasing evidence shows that ultrasound plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients, and provides an important basis for formulating treatment strategies [ 24 , 25 ].…”

“…A number of studies have used 5G-powered robot-assisted teleultrasound diagnostic systems to achieve effective ultrasound assessment for evaluating the cardiopulmonary function of COVID-19 patients. Preliminary results show that the protocol is feasible [ 12 , 13 , 26 , 27 ]. But the sample sizes in these studies were small and the results lacked statistical significance.…”

“…In recent years, the development of computer networks, multimedia and communication technology has promoted the development of robot-assisted teleultrasound technology, and there has been an accumulation of abundant experience related to abdominal, heart, pelvic, obstetric, vascular and thyroid examinations [ 12 ]. The robot-assisted teleultrasound diagnostic system not only allows for dynamic observation with no radiation damage, but also reduces the risk of infection of medical staffs [ 13 ].…”

Visual SLAM for robot navigation in healthcare facility

“…Ye et al. [39] evaluated the feasibility of using a robot-assisted remote ultrasound system for cardiopulmonary assessment of COVID-19 patients. Yang et al.…”

An Improved Sensing Method of a Robotic Ultrasound System for Real-Time Force and Angle Calibration

“…The above studies show that the RUS has high stability and reproducibility in ultrasonic examinations and could greatly reduce human errors and potential occupational injuries. Moreover, related studies show that, as the epidemic situation of COVID-19 gets worse, a medical robot arm could assist in specimen collecting [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. However, even after development in recent years, the robot arm is still unable to fully replace clinical professionals due to the absence of a haptic forced feedback mechanism.…”