A Streamlined Telepresent Video Platform for Aerospace Medicine.

INTRODUCTION

Improved video transmission is needed for telemedicine in austere or remote ground, maritime, and aerospace environments. A prototype compression algorithm named "V-CRAMMIT" (patent pending) streamlines medical images, improving bandwidth efficiency. This study evaluated the technology by assessing diagnostic designations made by medical clinicians using uncompressed vs. compressed video.

METHODS

An inventory of deidentified videos was selected from a library of recorded MP4 pulmonary ultrasound scans. Videos displayed four lung pathology conditions: Pneumothorax, Pneumonia, Pleural Effusion, and No Finding/No Pathology. Four videos were selected per condition, yielding 16 recordings compressed using V-CRAMMIT. Average file size reduction was 83%. A total of 20 ultrasound clinicians evaluated each video in both uncompressed and compressed format, presented in a randomized 32-trial sequence. In each trial, subjects selected one of the four pathology designations or an "Inconclusive/Unsure" designation. Trials were presented using a mouse interface and virtual dashboard displaying large-format video, the anatomic location of each scan, a replay button, and response buttons for the above designations. Accuracy, response time, and replay frequency were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA incorporating Video format (Uncompressed vs. Compressed) and Pathology (four levels) as independent factors.

RESULTS

Performance did not differ between video conditions: Uncompressed vs. Compressed trials showed no significant differences in accuracy, response times, or replays. Pathology imposed significant effects for all measures, with subjects making the most accurate (91% correct) determinations in Pleural Effusion cases.

DISCUSSION: Streamlined video afforded performance equivalent to standard video and could thus enable improved bandwidth efficiency for remote telemedicine settings. Beer JMA, Ng PC, Wlodarski DC, Tompkins J, Mock J, Mojica A, Clemons M. A streamlined telepresent video platform for aerospace medicine. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(11):1008-1014.