Ultrasound simulator for craniosynostosis screening

A reconfigurable medical simulator adapted to be used to train ultrasound operators to perform craniosynostosis screenings using medical ultrasound, comprising:

• (a) a substantially life size model of a human infant head, said model including a plurality of skull suture openings disposed at locations corresponding to a skull suture;
• (b) a quantity of a removable first material having an echogenicity such that when the first material is disposed within an opening in the model corresponding to a skull suture, that opening will appear as a patent skull suture in an ultrasound image of the model, the first material comprising a solid or semi-solid hypoechoic material;
• and
• (c) a quantity of a removable second material having an echogenicity such that when the second material is disposed within an opening in the model corresponding to a skull suture, that opening will appear as a fused skull suture in an ultrasound image of the model, the second material comprising an echogenic material, the second material having an echogenicity that is substantially higher than an echogenicity of the first material, the first and second materials enabling a user to selectively reconfigure the model by controlling which of the first and second materials are used to fill specific openings, such that if an opening is filled with the first material to simulate a patent skull suture and the user desires that opening to appear as a fused skull in an ultrasound image of the model, the user removes the first material and fills the opening with the second material, such that the opening will appear as a fused skull suture in an ultrasound image of the model, there being a substantial difference in the echogenicities of the first and second materials, such that the first and second materials are readily distinguishable in an ultrasound image, the first and second materials being elements of the reconfigurable medical simulator.

A medical simulator adapted to be used to train ultrasound operators to perform craniosynostosis screenings using medical ultrasound, comprising a substantially life size model of a human head, said model including:

• (a) at least one opening corresponding to a simulated patent skull suture, a solid or semi-solid hypoechoic material being disposed within each such opening to enhance a difference in an echogenicity of the simulated skull suture relative to that of portions of the model not corresponding to the simulated patent skull suture, the difference enabling each simulated patent skull suture to be identified in an ultrasonic image, said model being fabricated from a first material, such that the solid or semi-solid hypoechoic material disposed within each opening corresponding to a simulated patent skull suture represents a second material, an echogenicity of the second material being substantially lower than the echogenicity of the first material, so that each opening corresponding to a simulated patent skull suture can be readily distinguished from the first material in an ultrasound image of said model;
• and
• (b) at least one opening corresponding to a simulated fused skull suture, a third material being disposed within each opening corresponding to a simulated fused skull suture, an echogenicity of the third material being substantially higher than the echogenicity of the second material, so that each opening corresponding to a simulated fused skull suture can be readily distinguished from an opening corresponding to a simulated patent skull suture in an ultrasound image of said model.

A reconfigurable medical simulator adapted to be used to train ultrasound operators to perform craniosynostosis screenings using medical ultrasound, comprising:

• (a) a substantially life size model of a human infant head, said model including a plurality of skull suture openings;
• (b) a first material provided for use with the reconfigurable medical simulator to enable a skull suture opening to appear as a patent skull suture in an ultrasound image of the reconfigurable medical simulator when the first material is introduced into that opening, the first material comprising a solid or semi-solid hypoechoic material, and the first material comprising a mixture of starch and glue;
• and
• (c) a second material provided for use with the reconfigurable medical simulator to enable a skull suture opening to appear as a fused skull suture in an ultrasound image of the reconfigurable medical simulator when the second material is introduced into that opening, the second material comprising a material that is substantially more echogenic than the first material, such that each skull suture opening filled with the first material can be readily distinguished from each other skull suture opening filled with the second material in an ultrasound image, such that the first and second materials can be selectively inserted into the skull suture openings before acquiring the ultrasound image, the second material comprising a solid or semi-solid echoic material having an echogenicity substantially similar to portions of the skull adjacent to the plurality of skull suture openings, so that in the ultrasound image of the model each skull opening filled with the second material is not substantially distinguishable from the portions of the skull adjunct to that opening, there being a substantial difference in the echogenicities of the first and second materials, such that the first and second materials are readily distinguishable in an ultrasound image, the first and second materials being elements of the reconfigurable medical simulator, the second material comprising a silicone based elastomer.