SYSTEM FOR VALIDATING AND TRAINING INVASIVE INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine, comprising a training model with an anatomical reproduction of a body part and an interchangeable practice region. The system additionally has a fluid circuit with a fluid reservoir, a pump unit, and a tube system. Interventions in the interchangeable practice region are monitored by a detection device. The user's interaction with the anatomically modeled parts of the interchangeable practice region triggers an autonomous reaction and control of the pump unit as a result of an increase or a decrease in the voltage, the current, or the frequency of the pump, said increase or decrease being generated by feedback electrical signals. The invention additionally relates to a method for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine, wherein contact with the anatomically modeled parts of the interchangeable practice region is detected by the detection device, which is embodied as an electrically conductive structure and/or a light-guiding structure, and lastly the voltage, the current, or the frequency of the at least one pump is varied.

Claims

1. A system (1) for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine, comprising a training model (2) that is anatomically modeled on the human or animal body, having an anatomical replica of a body part of the human or animal body having an opening, and an anatomical replica of an interchangeable practice region that can be inserted into the opening of the anatomical replica of the body part and has a front side that is accessible from the outside, has a rear side that is at least partially connected in a form-fitting manner to the opening of the anatomical replica of the body part, and comprises anatomically modeled components (3) such as at least one artificial blood vessel that are arranged in or on the interchangeable practice region, a fluid circuit (4), having at least one fluid reservoir (5) containing a fluid, at least one pump unit (6) for generating a heartbeat and pulse based on the human cardiovascular system in the at least one artificial blood vessel, the pump unit (6) having at least one pump (7.1, 7.2) for conveying the fluid in the fluid circuit and the at least one artificial blood vessel and for simulating the blood flow and the pulse, and having a control unit (8) that is coupled to the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2), a tube system, comprising at least two first tubes, one end of each of which is detachably connected to the end of each of the at least one artificial blood vessel and the other end of each of which is detachably connected to the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2) of the pump unit (6) and serves as the first feed (9) and as the first return (10), and at least one electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13), characterized in that the system (1) further comprises at least one detection device for monitoring the interventions in the interchangeable practice region, the at least one detection device being arranged in or on the anatomically modeled components (3) of the interchangeable practice region, the system (1) being embodied such that the detection device detects an interaction of the user with the anatomically modeled components (3) of the interchangeable practice region, and the data generated by the interaction are transmitted as electrical signals via the signal transmission means (14) as feedback electrical signals to the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13), whereupon the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13) analyzes the data and, on that basis, transmits a scenario-dependent control signal via the signal transmission means (14) to the control unit (8) of the pump unit (8), whereby an autonomous reaction and control of the at least one pump unit (6) is carried out by increasing or decreasing the voltage, the current, or the frequency of the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2).

2. The system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2) of the pump unit (6) is embodied as a spiral pump, centrifugal pump, diaphragm pump, roller pump, shaking pump, water pump, or chain pump.

3. The system (1) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one first sensor (11) that is independently selected from among a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, or a volume sensor and is arranged in or on the at least one artificial blood vessel and/or the tube system, and/or at least one second sensor (12) that is embodied as a level sensor and arranged in or on the fluid reservoir (5), the at least one first sensor (11) and/or the at least one second sensor (12) being connected to the control unit (8) of the pump unit (6) through signal transmission (14) and, in the event of damage to the at least one artificial blood vessel, measuring the change in the delivery rate or pressure of the fluid and/or the amount of the emerging fluid.

4. The system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one detection device is arranged in or on the anatomically modeled component of the interchangeable practice region—which is embodied as at least one artificial blood vessel and/or anatomically modeled nerve tissue and/or anatomically modeled skin covering—and is embodied as an electrically conductive structure and/or as a light-guiding structure.

5. The system (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the anatomically modeled skin covering is at least partially arranged on the interchangeable practice region, the anatomically modeled skin covering being composed at least in part of an elastic plastic, having a high level of resilience, and enabling a haptic perception of the at least one underlying artificial blood vessel.

6. The system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fluid circuit (4) is embodied as a closed or an open fluid circuit.

7. A method for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine using a system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection device detects an interaction of the user with the anatomically modeled components (3) of the interchangeable practice region, and subsequently, the data generated by the interaction are transmitted as electrical signals via the signal transmission means (14) as feedback electrical signals to the at least one electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13), whereupon the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13) analyzes the data and, on that basis, transmits a scenario-dependent control signal via the signal transmission means (14) to the control unit (8) of the pump unit (6), whereby an autonomous reaction and control of the at least one pump unit (6) is carried out by increasing or decreasing the voltage, the current, or the frequency of the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the amount of fluid emerging from the at least one artificial blood vessel is measured by the at least one first sensor (11) and/or the at least one second sensor (12) and transmitted as a feedback electrical signal via signal transmission means (14) to the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13), whereupon the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13) analyzes the data and, on that basis, transmits a scenario-dependent control signal via the signal transmission means (14) to the control unit (8) of the pump unit (6), whereby an autonomous reaction and control of the at least one pump unit (6) is carried out through an increase or a decrease in the voltage, the current, or the frequency of the at least one pump (7.1, 7.2).

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the detection device detects an interaction of the user with the anatomically modeled components (3) of the interchangeable practice region, whereupon the data generated by the interaction are transmitted as electrical signals via the signal transmission means (14) to the control unit (8) of the pump unit (6), and the control unit (8) transmits the data as feedback electrical signals via signal transmission means (14) to the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13).

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the feedback electrical signal is used to vary, monitor, and analyze the training progress as well as the pulse curve and the delivery rate in the fluid circuit (4) in real time.

11. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the at least one artificial blood vessel and the amount of fluid flowing through can be felt as a pulse and/or the fluid emerging from the at least one artificial blood vessel collects under the skin covering and can be felt as a replica of an aneurysm.

12. A computer program product that is used to carry out the method according to claim 7.

13. An electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit (13) on which the computer program product according to claim 12 is stored.

14. A use of a system (1) according to claim 1 for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine.

15. A use of a computer program product according to claim 12 for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine.

16. The method according to claim 7 for validation and training in invasive interventions in human and veterinary medicine.

Description

EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0273] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following with reference to an exemplary embodiment. The exemplary embodiment relates to an interchangeable practice region that is embodied as a forearm, and it is intended to describe the invention without restricting it.

[0274] The invention will be explained in further detail with reference to a drawing. In the drawing,

[0275] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the method according to the invention.

[0276] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the system 1 according to the invention. The sketch is not true to scale. The system 1 according to the invention has a training model 2, which is shown schematically as a stick figure. In this case, the interchangeable practice region of the training model 2 is a human forearm. The forearm comprises an anatomically modeled component 3 that is embodied as an artificial blood vessel and is not reproduced in detail in FIG. 1 but can only be attributed to the schematic arm of the stick figure. The system 1 according to the invention is operated at a system voltage of 12 V.

[0277] The system 1 according to the invention also has a fluid circuit 4 that has a fluid reservoir 5 in the form of a tank as a closed circuit, a pump unit 6, and a tube system. The fluid corresponds to imitation blood.

[0278] The pump unit 6 has a control unit 8 and two pumps 9, a first pump 7.1 being embodied as a self-priming water pump and a second pump being embodied as a centrifugal pump 7.2. The first pump 7.1 is used to vent the fluid circuit 4 before the measurement, whereby the tube system and the artificial blood vessel 3 are vented with air. Subsequently, the first pump 7.1 is used to fill the fluid circuit 4—particularly the tube system and the blood vessel 3—with fluid from the fluid reservoir 5. The second pump 7.2 ensures the conveyance of the fluid in the fluid circuit 4 and the artificial blood vessel 3 and simulates blood flow and pulse rate.

[0279] The first pump 7.1 is operated at a nominal voltage of 12 V and has a delivery rate of max. 2 l/min and a delivery head of max. 3 m. The pressure formed by the first pump 7.1 is a maximum of 2 bar. The first pump 7.1 enables a maximum delivery rate of 60 l/h in the fluid circuit 4 and the anatomically modeled component 3. The second pump 7.2 generates a mean blood pressure of 50 mmHg to 250 mmHg, a pulse amplitude of 0% to 150% of the normal value, and a flow rate of 400 l/min.

[0280] The tube system has a first feed 9 and a first return 10. The arrows indicate the direction of flow of the fluid 15. The first feed 9 and the first return 10 of the tube system connect the anatomically modeled component 3 to the pumps 9 of the pump unit 6. It should be noted here that the feed 9 and the return 10 are only shown schematically in FIG. 1, for example in that they each only run into the pump unit 6 without the exact connection being specifically reproduced. The first end of the first feed 9, which is embodied as a tube (to the right in the figure), is connected to the first end of the anatomically modeled component 3. The first end of the first return 10, which is embodied as a tube (to the right in the figure), is connected to the second end of the anatomically modeled component 3. The second end of the first feed 9 (to the left in the figure) is connected to the first pump 7.1 and the second pump 7.2. The second end of the first return 10 (to the left in the figure) is connected to the first pump 7.1 and the second pump 7.2 (the connections are not shown in the figure).

[0281] The fluid reservoir 5 is placed directly on the pump unit 6 and connected to the first pump 7.1 and the second pump 7.2 of the pump unit 6 via a respective quick-release coupling.

[0282] A first sensor 11, which is embodied as a flow sensor, is arranged in the first return 10 of the tube system. A second sensor 12, which is embodied as a fill level sensor, is arranged in the fluid reservoir 5. If the anatomically modeled component 3 is damaged or injured, the first sensor 11 measures the change in the delivery rate of the fluid that is being conveyed through the fluid circuit 4 and the anatomically modeled component 3. The second sensor 12 measures the amount of escaping fluid in the event of damage or injury to the anatomically modeled component 3. Both the first sensor 11 and the second sensor 12 are connected to the control unit 8 of the pump unit 6 via signal transmission means 14.

[0283] The interventions in the interchangeable practice region are monitored and recorded by a detection device (not shown in the figure) that is arranged on the anatomically modeled component 3. The contact or damage or injury to the anatomically modeled component 3 that is detected by the detection device is transmitted as an electrical signal and scenario-dependent control information through signal transmission 14 to the control unit 8 of the pump unit 6 that is coupled to the detection device.

[0284] The system 1 according to the invention also has an electronic measurement, control, and evaluation unit 13 that is connected to the control unit 8 of the pump unit 6 via signal transmission means 14, which enables information and data to be exchanged on both sides. The electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit 13 analyzes this information, which was transmitted as electrical signals from the detection device, and the computer program product stored on the electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit 13 selects an algorithm for the operation of the first pump 7.1 on that basis. This algorithm defines, among other things, the change in current, voltage, or frequency and, in association therewith, the change in the speed of the second pump 7.2 and thus influences the training scenario.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0285] 1 system

[0286] 2 training model

[0287] 3 anatomically modeled component

[0288] 4 fluid circuit

[0289] 5 fluid reservoir

[0290] 6 pump unit

[0291] 7.1 first pump

[0292] 7.2 second pump

[0293] 8 control unit

[0294] 9 first feed

[0295] 10 first return

[0296] 11 first sensor

[0297] 12 second sensor

[0298] 13 electronic control, measurement, and evaluation unit

[0299] 14 signal transmission means

[0300] 15 direction of flow of the fluid