Authors:
Scheibböck Christian
1
;
Dreiseitl Stephan
2
and
Binder Michael
3
Affiliations:
1
Vienna University of Technology, Austria
;
2
Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences at Hagenberg, Austria
;
3
Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Keyword(s):
Telemedicine, Tele-dermatology, Mobile phones, Camera phones, Colour fidelity, MMS, Illumination.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Biomedical Engineering
;
Health Information Systems
;
Telemedicine
Abstract:
Examination in dermatology is primarily based on visual inspection. Since this visual information can be stored and transmitted easily through digital images, tele-consultation and tele-diagnosis are predestined methods especially in the field of dermatology. Nowadays mobile phones represent the most important communication tool around the world. To study how the process of acquiring, transmitting and diagnosing images can be implemented by using cheap and widely available devices, such as mobile phones, we conducted several experiments at the Medical University of Vienna. Material and Methods: In a study patients were asked to take one or more photos of their dermatoses with the camera of a mobile phone. Images were transmitted electronically by using the MMS function of the phones. All participants were examined routinely at the outpatient department, establishing the gold standard diagnosis. Three different phone models were evaluated with regard to colour fidelity, illumination e
ffects, and terms of resolution. Images for tests were produced at not standardized conditions. Results: In all three phones high resolution images are compressed. Resolution was skilled down to 640x480 while sending via MMS. Colour fidelity was different depending on the manufacturer. Colour fidelity increased proportional with increasing illumination.
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