Simulated surgical system, simulated vessel, and methods of making the same and related components
AssigneeReSuture, Inc.
InventorsHannah A. Eherenfeldt, Benjamin M. Knapp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Simulated anatomical components, such as simulated vascular vessels, produced by a method that includes forming an anatomical component mold from a soluble polymer such that the mold defines an interior void of the simulated anatomical component. One or more layers of an elastomeric material is applied around the anatomical component mold and the material is allowed to cure to form a wall of the simulated anatomical component. At least a portion of the mold is dissolved to form a passage for liquid within the simulated anatomical component. Simulated anatomical components are connectable to other components of a surgical simulation system and can be modularized.
Claims24
A method of producing a simulated vascular vessel, the method comprising:
- forming a vascular vessel mold from a first material that includes a soluble polymer and/or meltable material, the vascular vessel mold defining an interior void of a vascular vessel for a surgical simulation system;
- applying one or more layers of elastomer around the vascular vessel mold to form a simulated vascular vessel;
- allowing the one or more layers of elastomer to cure to form a wall of the simulated vascular vessel;
- and
- removing a first portion of the vascular vessel mold via dissolving and/or melting to create a passage for liquid in the simulated vascular vessel wherein when said removing is completed to form the passage, a second portion of the vascular vessel mold remains in the passage as a simulated vascular abnormality to represent a simulated vascular abnormality in a surgical simulation when the simulated vascular vessel is used in a simulation, wherein the passage includes an opening for receiving a fluid flow, wherein the simulated vascular abnormality is positioned adjacent the wall of the simulated vascular vessel such that the simulated vascular abnormality and the simulated vascular vessel are configured to allow the fluid flow to pass through the passage by the simulated vascular abnormality.
A method of producing a simulated vascular vessel, the method comprising:
- forming a vascular vessel mold from a first material that includes a soluble polymer and/or a meltable material, the vascular vessel mold defining an interior void of a vascular vessel for a surgical simulation system;
- applying at least two layers of elastomer around the vascular vessel mold to form a simulated vascular vessel;
- applying a layer of an elastic mesh fabric between a first one and a second one of the at least two layers of elastomer;
- allowing the at least two layers of elastomer to cure to form a wall of the simulated vascular vessel;
- and
- removing a first portion of the vascular vessel mold via dissolving and/or melting to create a passage for liquid in the simulated vascular vessel wherein when said removing is completed to form the passage, a second portion of the vascular vessel mold remains in the passage as a simulated vascular abnormality to represent a simulated vascular abnormality in a surgical simulation when the simulated vascular vessel is used in a simulation, wherein the passage includes an opening for receiving a fluid flow, wherein the simulated vascular abnormality is positioned adjacent the wall of the simulated vascular vessel such that the simulated vascular abnormality and the simulated vascular vessel are configured to allow the fluid flow to pass through the passage by the simulated vascular abnormality.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.