Instrumented breast model

An interactive instrumented breast model (100), for training a user to perform an effective breast examination, comprising:

• a breast model (102) having a base (206), a surface (202), and an inner core (204);
• a means for detecting a level of displacement of the surface (202) of said breast model (102), generating sensor output (1040), wherein said means for detecting a level of displacement comprises one or more sensors (1002) in communication with said inner core (204) of said breast model (102), such that when the user (1018) applies a level of pressure to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), said one or more sensors (1002) detect said level of pressure applied by the user (1018) and generate a corresponding voltage (1006), and one or more data acquisition modules (1004), wherein each said data acquisition module (1004) receives said voltage (1006) output from one said sensor (1002) and generates said sensor output (1040);
• and
• a computer program product for execution on a computer system (2500) in communication with said means for detecting a level of displacement of said surface (202) of said breast model (102), said computer program product comprising:
• a means for receiving said sensor output (1040);
• a means for converting said sensor output (1040) to reflect a level of displacement resulting from said level of pressure that the user (1018) applies to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), thereby generating converted sensor data (1028),
• a means for evaluating said converted sensor data (1028) and generating performance data (1030), and
• a means for displaying said performance data (1030) as performance display output (1032) to the user (1018);
• wherein one or more channels (212) is drilled through said base (206) and said inner core (204) of said breast model (102), each said channel (212) having a terminating end (214) in proximity to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), and further comprising:
• one or more pieces of string (104), each said piece of string (104) having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of each said string (104) is connected to one said sensor (1002);
• and
• a means for attaching said second end of each said piece of string (104) to said terminating end (214) of one said channel (212).

An interactive instrumented breast model (100) for training a user (1018) to perform an effective breast examination, comprising:

• a breast model (102) having a base (206), a surface (202), and an inner core (204);
• a means for detecting whether user (1018) applies two or more levels of displacement at each of one or more points of contact on said surface (202) of said breast model (102), generating sensor output (1040);
• and
• a means for simultaneously displaying to the user (1018) each of said two or more levels of displacement for each of said one or more points of contact on said surface (202) of said breast model (102).

An interactive instrumented breast model (100), for training a user (1018) to perform an effective breast examination, comprising:

• a breast model (102) having a base (206), a surface (202), and an inner core (204);
• a means for detecting a level of displacement of the surface (202) of said breast model (102), generating sensor output (1040), wherein said means for detecting a level of displacement comprises one or more sensors (1002) in communication with said inner core (204) of said breast model (102), such that when the user (1018) applies a level of pressure to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), said one or more sensors 1002 detect said level of pressure applied by the user (1018) and generate a corresponding voltage (1006), and one or more data acquisition modules (1004), wherein each said data acquisition module (1004) receives said voltage (1006) output from one said sensor (1002) and generates said sensor output (1040);
• and
• a computer program product for execution on a computer system (2500) in communication with said means for detecting a level of displacement of said surface (202) of said breast model (102), said computer program product comprising:
• a means for receiving said sensor output (1040),
• a means for converting said sensor output (1040) to reflect a level of displacement resulting from said level of pressure that the user (1018) applies to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), thereby generating converted sensor data (1028),
• a means for evaluating said converted sensor output (1028) and generating performance data (1030), and
• a means for displaying said performance data (1030) as performance display output (1032) to the user (1018);
• wherein one or more channels (212) is drilled through said base (206) and said inner core (204) of said breast model (102), each said channel (212) having a terminating end (214) in proximity to said surface (202) of said breast model (102), and further comprising:
• one or more pieces of string (104), each said piece of string (104) having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of each said string (104) is connected to one said sensor (1002);
• and
• a means for attaching said second end of each said piece of string (104) to one said terminating end (214) of one said channel (212).

A computer program product for use with a computer system (2500), comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for analyzing and evaluating a breast examination performed by a user (1018) on an interactive instrumented breast model (100) having a breast model (102), wherein a surface (202) of said breast model (102) receiving an examination is an examined surface (202) of said breast model (102), said computer program product comprising:
• receiving means for enabling a processor (2504) to receive sensor output (1040) from a data acquisition unit (106), said data acquisition unit (106) having one or more sensors (1002) in communication with an inner core (204) of said breast model (102) of said interactive instrumented breast model (100), such that when the user (1018) applies pressure to one or more points of contact on said surface (202) of said breast model (102), said one or more sensors (1002) detect whether user (1018) applies two or more levels of displacement at each of the one or more points of contact, wherein the displacement is converted into said sensor output (1040) by data acquisition modules (1004) in said data acquisition unit (106);
• a means for converting said sensor output (1040) to reflect said two or more levels of displacement resulting from the pressure that the user (1018) applies to each of said one or more points of contact on said surface (202) of said breast model (102), thereby generating converted sensor data (1028);
• a means for evaluating said converted sensor data (1028) and generating performance data (1030);
• said performance data indicating whether user (1018) applies two or more levels of displacement for each of said one or more points of contact;
• a means for displaying said performance data (1030) as performance display output (1032) to the user (1018), wherein said performance display output (1032) simultaneously displays to the user (1018) each of said two or more levels of displacement for each of said one or more points of contact on said surface (202) of said breast model (102).