T eleauscu ltation: Bringing you to the bedside

A custom-made device was used for the acquisition, dig iti1ation. compression. storage and telephone transmiss ion o f respiratory sounds anJ airflow data. Acoustical infomrntion from two patie nts at a small community in rural Mani toba was sent over a distance of 500 km vi a conventional telephone lines . D ig ital transmission left the resp iratory sounds unaffected by telephone line noise. Data processing by computer at the rece ivi ng s ite provided more de tail than would have been avail able o n conventional auscul tati on . This new method fo r tcleauseultation could he of value not only in remote areas but also for the survei I lance of patients at home in urban setting s