Shanghai experts check patients remotely
China's first 5G-based platform offering long-distance consultation, checks, big data analysis and genetic information decoding has been established at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University.
On Thursday, a couple from Hunan Province received a check and group consultation in their hometown while Shanghai experts controlled equipment in Hunan to carry out an ultrasound check on the couple and their relatives in order to find a genetic reason for an inherited disease in the couple's unborn child.
The woman was told the fetus had multicystic dysplastic kidney, a rare inherited kidney disease which can cause kidney failure. Pregnancy was terminated.
The Hunan maternity hospital conducted genetic sequencing on the fetus and the couple and found that both spouses had the same genetic mutation, which hadn't been reported to have a connection with the disease.
As the Hunan hospital is a member of a network of congenital deformity prevention and control led by the Fudan hospital, it applied for direction and group consulting from Shanghai experts.
Previously, such patients would have had to travel to Shanghai. Now, 5G technology enables them to undergo long-distance checks, consultation and big data analysis in their hometown.
"Thanks to 5G technology, the whole process of data transmission and cloud computing only lasted less than 10 minutes. Previously, such a large number of data of genetic sequencing needs over two hours for transmission," said Fudan hospital's Dr Huang Hefeng.
"We suspected the mutated gene to be the cause for the disease. So we asked the couple's relatives to have ultrasound checks to see if their family members had the same kidney disease, which usually shows symptoms after the age of 40.
"If other family members with the same genetic mutation also have the disease through ultrasound check, we can confirm that the mutation can cause multicystic dysplastic kidney. The couple can receive in vitro fertilization to give birth to a healthy baby through pre-implantation genetic-testing technology, which selects healthy embryo for transplantation," Huang said. "If not, we will continue to look for the cause of the disease."
Medical experts in Shanghai talk with experts in Hunan Province.
Doctors in Shanghai control a mechanical arm in Hunan to carry out ultrasound checks.
