Feasibility and Safety of 5G-Based Telerobotic Abdominal Ultrasonography

Objective Telemedicine can offer services to remote patients regardless of the distance. Fifth‐generation (5G) mobile networks may make telemedicine practical because of their low latency. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel 5G robot‐assisted remote abdominal ultrasound (AUS) telemedicine technology in clinical applications in distant locations. Methods We performed 5G‐based telerobotic AUS in patients who were located more than 100 km away from the physicians. Results The telerobotic AUS had a longer examination time than the conditional bedside AUS; however, the complete examination rate was not inferior. None of the volunteers experienced discomfort during the examination and the examination time was acceptable for all. Conclusion Our findings confirm the feasibility and safety of 5G‐based telerobotic AUS in clinical practice.