Effect of Vision-based Stethoscope Navigation System on a Process of Teleauscultation

This paper discusses evaluation of a vision-based remote navigation system for tele-auscultation. In tele-auscultation, the doctor needs to navigate a non-clinical proxy handler of the stethoscope. The system provides doctor's navigation of the stethoscope as a graphics marker overlaid on a view of the target's chest. The system is evaluated in a simulated tele-auscultation experiment with a lung auscultation simulator. Auscultation time was reduced when the system was used. The results of conversation analysis show that the system has reduced the indication of auscultation position and position tuning. The subjects commented in the questionnaire that the system smoothened navigation and handling of the stethoscope.