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Physical medical simulators (mannequin simulators) are widely used for training medical students and medical personnel to perform specialized procedures, hone diagnostic techniques, and improve clinical decision-making skills in critical situations. Such mannequin simulators, however, are extremely expensive; costs range from $3,000 for simulators barely better than dolls to $50,000 for extremely complicated machines attempting to emulate human physiology. In addition, most of the higher-end simulators require development of complex teaching scenarios, as well as support of technical staff, and cannot be easily transported without the risk of damage.
ScopingSim is an endoscopy, colonoscopy, and bronchoscopy simulator project that is being designed and developed by faculty and students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences (SIS). The team is creating an inexpensive modular scoping simulator application that will integrate the web-based simulation authoring software Raspberry PI, a low-cost computing platform; Arduino, an open-source hardware; and a variety of off-the-shelf sensors. The final result will allow educational and medical institutions to take advantage of transportable, cost-effective, and high-fidelity training opportunities.
The goal for the first prototype is to develop a single-organ simulator that would allow medical professionals to practice endoscopy procedures and their respective diagnostics. The team has created an endoscope model using flex sensors to notify students when they are bending the endoscope resulting in discomfort, pain, or damage, and pressure sensors to notify students when they are applying enough pressure to cause said damage.
ScopingSim’s success depends largely on you, our generous and excited supporters.
Your donations will purchase the technology and equipment needed to launch ScopingSim (see below). In turn, you will be shaping the future of medical professionals, improving patient health, and enabling interdisciplinary education and collaboration between the fields of information science and medicine.
Buy us an Arduino board. Arduino boards read inputs - such as light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED, or publishing something online. Your 25 bucks will keep us afloat with these and many other useful supplies, electronic components, and building materials.
We're hungry for dessert and have a craving. For pies. Raspberry PIs. Not edible, but these credit-card sized computers are pretty darn useful for technical stuff.
C3PO worries about problems. The Ambu aScope actually goes about solving them. For example: instant availability, ease of transport, and sterility straight from the packaging, requiring no further handling and reprocessing. Like C3PO, the Ambu aScope focuses on keeping people safe.
We're geeking out over Myo Gesture Armcontrol bands. If you loved using a remote to control your toy helicopter or car as a kid, this cuff-like tool will blow your former self's mind! Just as importantly, you can make sure our students don't hurt future patients by purchasing us a collection of sensors. Sensors help gauge pressure, damage, and pain in the simulator mannequin. A bit of a step up from the buzz alert in Hasbro's Operation.
You just (almost) bought us an Oculus Rift or an HTC VIVE development kit! We promise to use our new-found toys for good. (That includes playing Zombies on the Holodeck, right?) And we'll prove it, by giving you a tour of the lab and a hands-on demonstration of a simulator.
You're zooming in close to the biggest prizes of all - a 3-D printer! As a special thanks, in addition to a tour of the lab and a hands-on demonstration, we also will print a 3-D model of a human digestive system for you. It will make an excellent conversation piece - we know from experience. The largest donation over $1,000 will get to name a mannequin in the lab.
