December 7, 2007

Symposium: Build the Basis of Remote-Control Medical System in Asia

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science held the "ASIA TELEMEDICINE SYMPOSIUM 2007" in association with Kyushu University Hospital, Department of Endoscopic Diagnostics and Therapeutics and Department of Medical Informatics, on 7-8th December 2007.

Views were exchanged on the establishment of a medical liaison system that integrates medical and info-communication networks within Asia. This was to lay the groundwork for applying the new telemedicine system developed by Kyushu University to the wider region. The system employs the academic high-speed internet line and image transmission system also developed by the university.

Toward building this "ASIA Telemedicine Center," engineers and medical researchers, practitioners from 12 countries including Japan assembled for this symposium. They shared information and views on the latest network technologies. Because the symposium was also open to the public, it offered a good platform for widely disseminating information on the university's teletherapy activities in Asia. Views were also exchanged on the problems at each of system's hubs, and a framework for standardization was set up to resolve them. The participants took the first steps toward establishing a team in the area of audio-visual technologies.