To provide the best possible patient care at any place and any time, with optimal use of the available techniques and know-how.

For this purpose the development of a universal communication network that is evidently available and real-time interactive, reliable, easy to use both medical experts and patients, technically open, flexible and extendable.

The network should bridge the quality gab of patient care, both between the UE and the Mediterranean Community, and between Centres of excellence and middle-range and small medical centres.

The network should enable the development of a universal medical quality management system and contribute towards standardised treatment protocols.

The network should enable the wide use of tele-teaching, tele-training and tele-education.

The WinVicos communication system combines the user-friendliness and flexibility of IP-based protocol with the security and sufficiently large bandwidth of satellite communication as it exhibits :

• Superior display quality at low transmission rates ( <1 mbit/s ).

• Continuous transition between near-lossless and lossy transmission regimes.

• Suitable for typical medical images ( still-, moving- ) with a variable dynamic range

• Progressive transmission allowing for adjustment of the operating parameters during transmission.

• User-defined region-of-interest that is treated separately.

• Open, flexible and extendable architecture.

The hardware and software componentes of the network are cutting-edge and yet off-the-shelf, thus promoting high quality that is widely available. WoTeSa ( Workstation for Telemedical Applications via Satellites ) consists of :

• PC with two Pentium® processors, and high quality video camera and frame-grabber

• WinVicos software using a PACC software codec ( both point-to-point and multi-point )

Network architecture :

•  10 centres of excellence ( both EU and mediterranean ) are interconnected via the satellite network ( contribution network ). This network could be extended with the participation of new external partners.

• Up to 250 low-end users are connected to the nearest satellite station via terrestrial and / or satellite connexions ( distribution network).

This network will develop a special platform for testing various application software ( including industrial partners ) and will be an excellent environnment for testing new products.

Definition of the procedures of Access to informations on patients data, and analysis of the clinical needs in order to specify a future standardised collective know-how data base in the participating countries.

The services in the network will undergo regular interdisciplinary validation to guarantee best quality developpment.