TRLabs and St. Boniface join forces in e-health research

July 25, 2001 -- Winnipeg, MB - TRLabs is expanding its information and communications technology (ICT) research program and sponsor network into the medical field through a new collaborative agreement with St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre.

The two organizations will jointly undertake a series of projects applying ICT to health care. They will work together to develop and test new technologies and applications and to organize symposia, conferences and other telehealth-related events. TRLabs and St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre will co-operate in applied research and development by sharing resources and technical information and by exchanging technical personnel.

Dr. Jose Rueda, TRLabs Research Scientist and Manager of the Data Networking Research Program, sees exciting possibilities for research collaboration.

"There are many instances in which ICT can dramatically improve healthcare for patients. Applications include improved patient record keeping, access to the latest medical techniques for rural communities and remote surgery. The ICT research strength of TRLabs combined with the medical research strength of St. Boniface can position Manitoba as a centre for innovative e-health research."

Initially, the collaboration will focus on research and development of teleradiology applications. Medical imaging systems have created a vast database of digitised radiology images; teleradiology involves electronic access of these images by hospitals, clinics and physicians throughout the province. Effective access to the radiology image databases will facilitate timely diagnoses and treatment options thus enhancing patient care, especially in rural and remote communities. The St. Boniface research team, led by Chief Software Architect Sergio Camorlinga, will work in concert with TRLabs to develop a network and database system capable of storing, managing and providing access to this data in a secure manner.

Harry Schulz, Director of Business Operations for St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre, anticipates success. "The St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre is conducting pioneering research into new health-related network applications - with an emphasis on teleradiology. This exciting new collaboration with TRLabs brings a powerful partner in the field to help achieve our goals."

Established in 1987, the St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre is a free-standing medical research institute affiliated with St. Boniface General Hospital and the University of Manitoba. The Research Centre is world renowned for its innovative research and distinguished investigators. It houses 20 laboratories, each of which is dedicated to an unique aspect of medical research, and is staffed by over 255 research and support personnel. St. Boniface General Hospital Research Centre has a mandate guiding its research in three primary areas: basic and applied cardiovascular sciences, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, and degenerative disorders associated with aging.

TRLabs is Canada's leading ICT research consortium. Through industry-university-government collaboration, TRLabs creates innovative technologies and trains students to enhance Canada's information and communications technology expertise and improve its global competitiveness. TRLabs operates research labs in five cities: Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg. Its industrial sponsors include telecom carriers, multinational equipment manufacturers, telecommunications service providers and emerging western Canadian ICT businesses. University sponsors are the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Regina and Manitoba, and government sponsors are the Governments of Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

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