A Portable Multi-Stream Telemedicine System for First-Level Emergency Support in Crisis Environments
- 1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS,Erlangen, Germany
- 2Quint Healthcare,Fürth, Germany
Abstract
Objective: The Ukrainian Remote Emergency Support Case project (URESC) developed a portable telemedicine system to support layperson first responders in crisis environments through real-time audio-visual consultation with remote medical specialists. Methods: Following a structured requirements analysis involving 66 experts from Ukrainian emergency and clinical settings, the originally “suitcase” container was revised to a mobile “backpack”-based design. The system integrates three simultaneous wireless video streams (scene view, responder communication, responder chest-mount perspective) based on the WebRTC standard, a ruggedized tablet, CE-certified vital sensors, and a 5G mobile router. A webbased client-server architecture enables first responders to initiate a video consultation with minimal interactions. Results: Validation was conducted under realistic simulated scenarios with medical experts participating remotely. WebRTC-native streams performed reliably under variable network conditions; GoPro (RTMP-based) streams exhibited higher latency, identifying a clear path for further optimization. The system demonstrates a viable, cost-effective approach with ruggedized components to structured telemedicine support in resource- constrained environments. Conclusion: URESC has established a technical foundation for portable multi-stream telemedicine systems that enable remote emergency support in crisis environments. Initial validation demonstrated the feasibility of the multi-perspective approach and provides a basis for further field-oriented development and evaluation.
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BibTeX
@article{christian2026portable,
title = {{A Portable Multi-Stream Telemedicine System for First-Level Emergency Support in Crisis Environments}},
author = {Weigand Christian and Zweyer Georg and Göb Stephan and Wittenberg Thomas and Lang- Richter Nadine and Pfeiffer Norman and Quint Karl},
journal = {Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1515/cdbme-2026-0255},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2026-0255},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A Portable Multi-Stream Telemedicine System for First-Level Emergency Support in Crisis Environments
AU - Weigand Christian
AU - Zweyer Georg
AU - Göb Stephan
AU - Wittenberg Thomas
AU - Lang- Richter Nadine
AU - Pfeiffer Norman
AU - Quint Karl
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering
DO - 10.1515/cdbme-2026-0255
UR - https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2026-0255
AB - Objective: The Ukrainian Remote Emergency Support Case project (URESC) developed a portable telemedicine system to support layperson first responders in crisis environments through real-time audio-visual consultation with remote medical specialists. Methods: Following a structured requirements analysis involving 66 experts from Ukrainian emergency and clinical settings, the originally “suitcase” container was revised to a mobile “backpack”-based design. The system integrates three simultaneous wireless video streams (scene view, responder communication, responder chest-mount perspective) based on the WebRTC standard, a ruggedized tablet, CE-certified vital sensors, and a 5G mobile router. A webbased client-server architecture enables first responders to initiate a video consultation with minimal interactions. Results: Validation was conducted under realistic simulated scenarios with medical experts participating remotely. WebRTC-native streams performed reliably under variable network conditions; GoPro (RTMP-based) streams exhibited higher latency, identifying a clear path for further optimization. The system demonstrates a viable, cost-effective approach with ruggedized components to structured telemedicine support in resource- constrained environments. Conclusion: URESC has established a technical foundation for portable multi-stream telemedicine systems that enable remote emergency support in crisis environments. Initial validation demonstrated the feasibility of the multi-perspective approach and provides a basis for further field-oriented development and evaluation.
SN - 2364-5504
ER -