On March 22, 2026, AdEchoTech brought together the international medical community at the Château d’Amboise in the Loire Valley for its very first global webinar entirely dedicated to robotic tele-ultrasound. More than 200 participants—clinicians, radiologists, sonographers, hospital decision-makers, and technology partners—watched this live discussion about MELODY, the world’s first robotic remote ultrasound solution. In a historic setting emblematic of French expertise, AdEchoTech reaffirmed its position as a leader in the tele-operated ultrasound market.
The tone was set right from the start by host Charlie James: “This technology does not replace doctors—it extends their reach.” A statement that sums up AdEchoTech’s mission—to bring expertise closer to the patient, wherever they may be.
The focus of this webinar: MELODY, the world’s first robotic tele-ultrasound solution, designed and manufactured in France. The result of more than fifteen years of research conducted with the CNES and the European Space Agency (ESA), MELODY enables a physician to perform high-precision ultrasound scans remotely in real time, while maintaining full control over the medical procedure and the ultrasound machine’s settings. Where voice or video alone are insufficient, the robotic arm faithfully replicates the expert’s movements on the patient, with on-site assistance from a trained operator. CE/MDR, FDA, and MDSAP certified, and already deployed in more than 80 facilities, this technology was showcased during the webinar through concrete clinical case studies.
To highlight this issue, three global experts traveled to the event. Dr. Ivar Mendez, a neurosurgeon and director of the Virtual Health Hub in Canada, underscored the extent of disparities in access to care: in rural and Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, the likelihood of receiving a prenatal ultrasound drops dramatically.
Thanks to robotic tele-ultrasound, more than 1,000 exams are now performed each year without patients having to travel thousands of kilometers. Her most striking testimony goes beyond the statistics: “Since mothers have had access to prenatal ultrasound, the cry of a newborn has returned to the community. ”
For her part, Dr. Ingrid Petrikke Olsen, an obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in the Norwegian Arctic, highlighted the burden of travel for women in late pregnancy: “When you have to travel three or four hours for a simple obstetric ultrasound, it’s a considerable effort. Since this technology exists—why not use it?”
Beyond these real-world accounts, the speakers confirmed the clinical reliability of remote ultrasound.
Dr. Curtis Lowery, an American specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, put the issue bluntly: “It’s said that where you live can determine whether you live or die. And that’s a reality. ” Citing published comparisons between conventional ultrasound and tele-operated exams, he confirmed that once the learning curve is overcome, diagnostic accuracy is equivalent.
The event thus highlighted AdEchoTech’s core mission: to combat medical deserts and ensure equitable access to expert imaging everywhere—in hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and underserved rural areas. This is already a global reality, from France to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Norway.
This first global webinar marks a significant symbolic milestone in AdEchoTech’s vision: “Bringing Ultrasound Everywhere.” As the three experts emphasized, robotic tele-ultrasound is not a promise for the future, but a clinical reality that is already transforming access to care.
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