A mechanism for connecting a handpiece of a medical simulator) to a haptic arm of the medical simulator, with a first arm for connecting to the handpiece via a first revolute joint. The first revolute joint allows the handpiece to rotate about a first axis that coincides with a longitudinal axis of the handpiece. The first arm is part of a first parallel four-bar linkage. The first parallel four-bar linkage is operably connected to a second four-bar linkage to allow the handpiece to rotate about a second axis. The second parallel four-bar linkage comprises a third arm for connecting to the haptic arm via a second revolute joint. The second revolute joint allows the handpiece to rotate about a third axis that is preferably parallel with the haptic arm. A medical procedure simulator includes such a mechanism.

An internal tissue including a lesion region in the human body is modeled as a three-dimensional model. By reconstructing thickness or flexibility of a lumen wall portion including the lesion region and making it possible to confirm a motion of the lumen wall or a flow of fluid in the inside of the lumen wall, a state of the lesion region in the lumen can be confirmed clearly by visual inspection or the like. As a result, the diagnosis in the lumen can be made easier.

A container for a catheter simulator includes an accommodating unit for accommodating a liquid, the accommodating unit being defined by side walls and a bottom face. On the side walls, there are formed connection units capable of retaining any one of the heart models selected from a four-chamber heart model, a coronary artery model, and a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation model, the heart model being installed in the accommodating unit in a state of having the accommodating unit filled with a liquid; and installation parts for inserting a catheter from the outside of the container into simulated blood vessels of the heart model.

Disclosed herein are physiological phantoms incorporating sensors and sensor materials integrated with a tissue phantom of an anatomical part. The sensors and sensor materials include small diameter optical fibers containing Bragg gratings, thermochromic materials, electrical strain gauges, flexible strain gauges, shape sensing cables, electrochromic materials and etc. The sensors and sensing materials may mimic tissue as part of the tissue phantom. They may mimic the directionality, density, elasticity of the anatomical tissues they may be mimicking. The sensors and sensing materials may be sensitive to strain, heat, electricity, shape, light, and etc. similar to what may occur during medical procedures using various medical devices and tools such as a scalpel, a needle, a deep brain stimulation probe, a port used in brain or spinal surgery and etc.

In a virtual reality system for simulating medical processes, analyses and one or more virtual medical procedures may be performed on a virtual patient (or a part thereof), the virtual patient having medical conditions that simulate those of an actual real-world patient. The virtual reality system enables a user, such as a physician, to develop a strategy for treating the actual patient by performing one or more procedures on a simulated virtual patient. The user may be aided by the presentation of medical information from one or more sources bearing upon a physical condition exhibited by the virtual simulated patient.

The systems and methods are provided that can efficiently and accurately generate 3D printed vascular models of a vascular network, including stenotic pulmonary arteries, capable of vascular perfusion. The method may include acquiring image(s) of an anatomy of interest that includes a target area. The method may further include generating a geometric model of a phantom of a vascular network to be bioprinted using the image(s). The phantom may include vascular segment(s), inlet(s), and outlet(s). Each inlet and each outlet may communicate with at least one vascular segment. The method may include generating a geometric model of a bioreactor to be 3D printed based on the geometric model of the phantom using one or more of assembly parameters, phantom parameters, or any combination thereof. The bioreactor model may include inlet(s), outlet(s), a chamber in which the phantom is disposed, an outer housing, and an interface bordering the chamber.

A method includes, receiving a first sequence of first positions of a medical device that moves in a body of a patient. The first positions of the medical device are visualized to a user, by automatically moving a dummy device, external to the body, in a second sequence of second positions that mimics the first sequence.

A surgical instrument comprises an end effector, a shaft, and a housing extending proximally from the shaft. The surgical instrument includes an articulation assembly configured to articulate the end effector relative to the shaft, a firing assembly configured to fire a plurality of staples, for example, and a locking member movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. The housing is removably couplable to the shaft when the locking member is in the unlocked configuration and the housing includes a motor configured to drive at least one of the firing assembly and the articulation assembly. The housing also includes a controller in communication with the motor, wherein the controller is configured to activate the motor to reset at least one of the firing assembly and the articulation assembly to a home state when the locking member is moved between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.

A rib retention training assembly that is beneficial for training and practicing chest tube insertion and other invasive rib surgical procedures is envisioned to incorporate a portion of an animal rib cage covered by a synthetic sheet of human-like skin. One embodiment contemplates an apparatus comprising three framed plates each with an aperture in the center, much like a picture frame. When assembled, the synthetic sheet of human-like skin is sandwiched between a first outer framed plate and a center framed plate such that the synthetic sheet is covering the respective apertures, and the portion of the animal rib cage is sandwiched between the center frame plate and a second outer framed plate such that the rib cage is covering the respective apertures. This assembly provides a chest prop with a realistic feel for surgical simulations.

A computing device and a three-dimensional printer are disclosed. Data associated with reference anatomical properties is accessed by the computing device to generate a set of 3D printing files. The 3D printing files are compiled using the computing device to generate a printing model defining an anatomic orientation corresponding to the reference anatomical properties. Printing parameters and materials for the printing model are configured referencing experimentally derived datasets that define predetermined settings for the printing parameters and materials that are suitable for constructing a synthetic anatomical model with properties related to the reference anatomical properties. A synthetic model is printed using the printing parameters and materials as configured. The printing parameters and materials may be modified as desired subsequent to biomechanical testing of the model. Additional synthetic anatomical components may be added to or included with the model during post-processing, or before or during formation of the model.