This technology stands out by uniting the tactile fidelity of a physical model with the comprehensive insights of digital anatomy. Unlike purely virtual or solely mechanical trainers, it offers synchronized haptic, visual, and physiological feedback tailored to individual performance. Real-time instrument tracking and dynamic impedance modulation create highly realistic interactivity, while automatic scenario adjustment and objective metrics foster progressive skill mastery. This dual-modality approach enables safe, reproducible training across a wide range of anatomical variations and clinical scenarios.
Description
A hybrid physical-virtual simulation system pairs a tangible anatomical phantom with a precisely matched digital model to recreate needle-based procedures under realistic conditions. Embedded sensors and actuators in the phantom mirror tissue resistance and responses—imposing plunger resistance when a needle enters a virtual vessel, triggering simulated blood return, and inducing muscle twitches upon nerve contact. A real-time tracking subsystem records instrument position and orientation, relays syringe pressures and neurostimulator currents to a feedback controller, and generates live ultrasound images. The platform logs needle trajectories, adapts scenario complexity and performance metrics to user skill, and presents detailed internal anatomy derived from segmented MRI, CT, or ultrasound data—all without involving patients.
Applications
Anesthesiology training simulators
Ultrasound-guided injection training
Peripheral nerve block simulation
Medical skills assessment tools
Medical device evaluation platform
Advantages
Realistic tactile and visual feedback simulating needle insertion and ultrasound imaging
Safe, patient‐free environment for practicing high-risk procedures
Multimodal feedback (haptic resistance, simulated blood return, muscle twitch) for immersive training
Objective performance metrics and automated skill assessment with real-time logging
Adaptive difficulty tailored to the trainee’s skill level
Customizable anatomical models and scenarios for comprehensive clinical variation
Detailed needle trajectory tracking for debriefing and targeted improvement
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10417936B2
