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Researchers at the University of Central Florida have invented a Physical-Virtual Patient Bed System that simulates a human patient in a hospital bed. The invention has the ability to change the patient's appearance (race and various medical symptoms), alter size (child or adult), and mimic critical physiological signals. The system may be used for a range of civilian and military medical training.
Medical simulation and training centers often make use of stand-ins or surrogates for patients, including human actors who pretend to be sick or sophisticated robotic human mannequins called “human patient simulators” (HPS). Humans do not always offer consistency, and HPS cannot change appearance or exhibit human emotions. Because of deficiencies in the current technology, there is a need for this type of customizable system.
This is a real hospital bed with a Physical-Virtual Patient shell lying in it. The system’s electromechanical components change body shapes, project different appearances, change temperature, simulate pulse and breathing, and sense touch. The system provides very realistic dynamic visual appearances, including “nearly human” patients that can turn and look at you, appear pale or flush, appear to cry, smile, etc., to provide a more realistic experience to prepare trainees for diagnosing real patients. The Physical-Virtual Patient Bed is relatively inexpensive compared to an HPS, because of the interchangeability of the shells without replacing the expensive components fixed in the bed system.
Technical Details
The UCF system includes a translucent or transparent patient shell secured to a patient bed, which is illuminated from below by one or more projectors in the bed system. These projectors are adapted to render dynamic patient imagery onto the underneath of the shell so that the image appears on the surface of the shell in a realistic manner. One or more computing units including memory and a processor unit communicate with the projectors and other sensory devices to provide the interactive simulation. Sensory devices include, but are not limited to: optical touch sensing devices, targeted temperature feedback devices, audio-based tactile sense of pulse devices, and spatial audio components with a signal processing device to simulate vital signs. The system further includes interchangeable human shells and parts of human shells representing body parts. By using these shells, there is no need to change out the expensive and sensitive components that remain fixed in the patient bed system.
UCF researchers have developed an automated detection system aimed at helping to prevent and reduce the number of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) contracted during medical procedures. The new System for Detecting Sterile Field Events tracks activity during training or an actual medical procedure and identifies actions (such as contact-related events) that violate the sterile field and put patients at risk for infection. The computer-based system operates in real-time, using visual and auditory alerts to highlight potential contamination made during a procedure. For training purposes, the system can also project onto the patient/area an overlay of the surfaces that were contaminated during the procedure.
Technical Details
The system automates the job of overseeing medical procedures and providing objective visual/auditory performance indicators. Key to the system are sensors (such as cameras), processors and output devices (such as monitors and speakers)—all linked together to track, assess and respond to events that affect the sterile field. This includes objects and humans in or near the field. The system programming includes rules for maintaining the sterile field, along with contamination probability values, statistical measures and thresholds. The processors can iteratively update the contamination probability value for each surface during the procedure and can also connect to one or more output devices, which issue alerts when an event violates predefined rules for protecting the sterile field and patient safety.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida and the New Jersey Institute of Technology have developed dermatology software that scans and recreates 3D models of skin abnormalities including but not limited to any type of wounds and pressure injuries. It can be used to visualize and measure wounds and to track wound progression and healing. In addition, the software can also be used as a medical training tool to evaluate pressure injuries and wounds. While there are similar technologies available, this system is capable of assessing, measuring, and reproducing the wound perimeter and surface area with measures along the surface/3D shape of the wound.
Partnering Opportunity
The research team is seeking partners for licensing and/or research collaboration.
Stage of Development
Prototype available.