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US 7,857,626 B2Granted
Medical physiological simulator including a conductive elastomer layer
OwnerChristopher C. Tolyinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerChristopher C. Tolyinventor
Estimating the term…
Conductive elastomeric circuits are used in various simulated physiological structures such as tissues and organs, enabling feedback to be provided indicating whether a simulated task is being performed correctly. For example, a surgical trainer has a simulated human tissue structure made of an elastomeric composition, at least one reinforcing layer of a fibrous material, and at least one flexible electrical circuit. The surgical trainer preferably includes multiple areas for practicing surgical skills, each with evaluation circuits for providing feedback regarding that skill. Conductive elastomers are also incorporated into other types of medical training simulators, to similarly provide feedback. In another embodiment, a simulated organ has a conductive elastomeric circuit in the periphery of the simulated organ, enabling feedback to be provided to evaluate whether a person is properly manipulating the organ in response to a manual applied pressure.
A physiological training and evaluation simulator suitable for training and testing personnel, comprising:
A medical training simulator suitable for medical skills training and evaluation, the medical training model comprising a simulated physiological structure and an evaluation circuit including a conductive elastomer, the evaluation circuit including a first conductive segment and a second conductive segment separated by a non conductive segment such that they are not electrically coupled to each other, the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment being part of the simulated physiological structure, said evaluation circuit being configured to provide data related to proper execution of a simulated medical procedure being performed using the simulated physiological structure when the non conductive segment is removed and the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment are coupled together during the simulated medical procedure, thereby completing the evaluation circuit and enabling the evaluation circuit to provide the data related to the proper execution of the simulated medical procedure.
A medical training simulator suitable for medical skills training and evaluation, the medical training model comprising a simulated physiological structure and an evaluation circuit including a conductive elastomer, the evaluation circuit including a first conductive segment and a second conductive segment separated by a gap, such that they are not electrically coupled to each other, the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment being part of the simulated physiological structure, said evaluation circuit being configured to provide data related to proper execution of a simulated medical procedure being performed using the simulated physiological structure when either the first conductive segment or the second conductive segment are repositioned and placed in contact with either the other of the first conductive segment or the other of the second conductive segment during the simulated medical procedure, thereby completing the evaluation circuit and enabling the evaluation circuit to provide the data related to the proper execution of the simulated medical procedure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.