SimulMedic: System for Simulating Lessons in Medical Punctures
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Summary
Intravenous punctures performed by unskilled professionals can have serious consequences on patients presenting hematomas, phlebitis, inflammations, etc. Simulmedic is a simulation software and hardware (phantom) that can be used by students in healthcare fields to learn how to perform successful intravenous punctures, according to objective compliance measures.
Potential Use
Aimed at universities/training centers, and other institutions that perform punctures (fire departments, armed forces).
Development Status
TRL 4 – A physical prototype of the device exists (a dummy arm for practicing, patches, needle-sensor) and the software is being finetuned.
Advantages
Unlike other simulation devices, this one can be used to perform real punctures and actually draw blood; it also provides feedback in real time so that students can improve their technique.
Intellectual Property
- Chilean patent request No. 3748-2015 submitted
- PCT patent request No. CL2015/000070 submitted, in national phases in USA and EPO.
Opportunity
Financing is needed to manufacture a certain number of devices that could be tested at Chilean and foreign universities in order to validate and generate relevant support data.
Research Team
- Fernando Altermatt, Surgical Doctor, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Anesthesiologist, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile (2001).
- Constanza Miranda, Designer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching (COAT), North Carolina State University. PhD, North Carolina State University.