The World Health Imaging, Telemedicine and Informatics Alliance (WHITIA) today unveiled Remi-d, a new product concept that is intended to provide remote-operated X-ray capabilities for use in screening across areas of the developing world experiencing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) co-epidemic, high incidences of Black Lung disease, or outbreaks of other infectious respiratory diseases.
Remi-d is a remote-controlled, self-contained, digital medical X-ray device intended to meet the imaging needs of resource-limited areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central America and Southeast Asia, where radiologists and technologists are in short supply.
According to the World Health Organization, two-thirds of the world’s population is without access to basic X-ray services – a key component of primary health care delivery. Remi-d is intended to provide advanced capabilities including:
- Automated patient experience via a computer interface that allows patients to self-manage the multi-lingual capable registration process and retrieve results.
- Teleradiography through which a remote X-ray technologist can position patients and operate the X-ray equipment.
- Avatar/Patient Interaction providing a digital representation of the remote technologist in the booth to guide the patient through the X-ray process.
- Teleradiology that sends Remi-d’s images to remote radiologists for interpretation and diagnosis.
WHITIA partnered with Merge Healthcare and SEDECAL to develop Remi-d with the shared goal of deploying the systems worldwide and providing millions of people with the opportunity to receive life-saving health screenings.
“When Remi-d’s development has been completed and the device has been approved, we hope to make a significant difference in the screening of diseases worldwide,” said Ivy Walker, Chief Executive Officer of WHITIA. “With the support of partners such as Merge Healthcare and others, WHITIA is well-positioned to continue Remi-d’s development and to provide support to sustain the systems when they are ready to be deployed. With ongoing partner and solution development, we believe Remi-d, if approved, could be a leader in remote medical imaging.”