Abstract
Telehealth has the potential to be a valuable tool for technical and clinical support of computer controlled prosthetic devices. This pilot study examined the use of Internet-based, desktop video conferencing for remote configuration of the Otto Bock C-Leg. Laboratory tests involved connecting two computers running Microsoft NetMeeting over a local area network (IP protocol). Over 56Kbs−1, DSL/Cable, and 10Mbs−1 LAN speeds, a prosthetist remotely configured a user's C-Leg by using Application Sharing, Live Video, and Live Audio. A similar test between sites in Ottawa and Toronto, Canada was limited by the notebook computer's 28Kbs−1 modem. At the 28Kbs-1 Internet-connection speed, NetMeeting's application sharing feature was not able to update the remote Sliders window fast enough to display peak toe loads and peak knee angles. These results support the use of NetMeeting as an accessible and cost-effective tool for remote C-Leg configuration, provided that sufficient Internet data transfer speed is available.