New Study Concludes Surgical Simulators Improve Operating Room Abilities

Regardless of the industry, whenever you are working on implementing a simulation-based solution, it helps to have research studies available to support your premise. Rather than assuming that users of simulators will benefit from virtual experiences, it always helps to have research papers available to support your ideas.

A new study released this month by the Annals of Surgery, the most referenced surgical journal in the world, is a big help when it comes to assessing the effectiveness of virtual surgery simulators. Individualized Deliberate Practice on a Virtual Reality Simulator Improves Technical Performance of Surgical Novices in the Operating Room: A Randomized Controlled Trial, investigates whether practice on virtual reality surgical simulators improves performance in real-world operating rooms.

The study was conducted by Surgical Science, the makers of the LapSim virtual laparoscopic training simulator. The conclusion of the study is that deliberate individualized practice on a virtual reality simulator improves technical performance in the operating room. The authors believe that the results of their study will lead to more implementation of simulation-based curricula in residency training programs.

This study is just one more publication that confirms the use of virtual reality surgical training simulators. Surgical Science has compiled, and made public, a collection of over 40 research papers that validate the use of virtual reality training simulators for operating room professionals. Titled LapSim Validation Studies, the report includes publications from the American Journal of Surgery, the British Medical Journal, and the Annals of Surgery.

Whether you're trying to sell, develop, or market a virtual surgery simulator, it always helps to have data like this to substantiate your project to stake holders. Being able to verify the perceived goals, be they improvements of procedural outcomes, increased patient safety, or better utilization of resources, before the entire project investment is made will help to ensure a successful project.

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Virtual Human Anatomy iPhone App

BioDigital Human is now available as a free download for iPhone and iPad.

BioDigital Human is an excellent interactive virtual human anatomy and health condition modeling application. Including over 5,000 anatomy objects, users are able to learn about every part of the body from organs to systems to functions. A New York Times article called it: "the virtual body as the health education equivalent of Google Maps".

BioDigital Virtual Human Demo Video

Providing a virtual cadaver that can be examined and dissected an infinite number of times is an invaluable asset to the medical community. Real-world cadavers have a limited use, can be difficult to acquire, and their health conditions cannot be customized. All of these limitations can be overcome with BioDigital Human, allowing for complete manipulation of the virtual body so that specific body parts and conditions specific to them can be studied.

By providing the application as a free iPhone app, a larger section of the population has access to a powerful tool that allows them to see and understanding the interworkings of their body. Students, educators, patients, providers, and businesses are all able to take advantage of this mobile application to better understand, describe, visualize, diagnose, and market products for the human body.

Definitely check it out if you're looking for a quick way to learn about anything within human anatomy, from bones to organs to metabolic systems.

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Construction Equipment Simulators Used For More Than Just Training

It should come as no surprise the construction equipment manufactures utilize virtual simulators when it comes to training operators, but what you may not be aware of is the extent to which companies like Volvo leverage simulators. Throughout the entire product development cycle, Volvo is using 3D simulation in places that had always relied on physical testing in the past, allowing them to lower production schedules and costs.

Dr. Reno Filla, a Product Development Specialist at Volvo Construction Equipment, recently spoke with Verdi Ogewell from the Verkstads Forum about the importance of simulation within Volvo for everything from prototyping machinery, to tasks that cannot be conducted in the real world. He discusses how they are able to develop a number of virtual concepts, allow the multiple concepts to compete against each other, and then choose the winner for real-world production. This virtual prototyping process allows Volvo to develop and test a higher degree of variation in their concepts, something that is far to expensive to do with the physical prototyping process.

Volvo Construction Equipment Simulator

From designing more efficient equipment, to training people to be safer operators, Volvo has made a significant commitment to their simulation systems.  Just as equipment operators must learn to move the required amount of materials in their allotted time slots, equipment developers must design, test and produce equipment in cost-effective development cycles. Simulations are a proven method for meeting the high demands placed on everyone who works in the construction equipment industry.

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I/ITSEC 2013 Highlights

Happy new year, here's to a great 2014. And just in case you missed it last month, here are some of the highlights from I/ITSEC 2013. I/ITSEC (Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference) is the largest modeling and simulation event in the world. The annual conference in Orlando promotes cooperation among the armed services, academia and various industries and government agencies in the pursuit of improved training and education programs. This year's conference had approximately 14,000 registrants, including 1,900 international registrants from 70 countries.


Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation & Education Conference - iitsec.org

I/ITSEC 2013 Videos from The National Training and Simulation Association

Alion Ship Readiness Control Officer Training Simulator


KMW Railroad Simulator Systems


LSI Virtual Courseware


Thales Hybrid Inertial Optical Platform


Virtusphere Full Body Movement

The NTSA's mission is to ensure national and international awareness and utilization of the full potential of modeling, simulation and virtual reality across the full spectrum of human learning and research. NTSA is the preeminent nexus among industry, government and research organizations in the furtherance of the technology and community of practice. NTSA provides an effective, universally recognized, formal organization to further the business development and research interests of the modeling and simulation training services and support industries in the domestic and international marketplaces. It serves as the focal point for thought and analysis on the future direction and potential of the industry as it expands rapidly into multiple new areas. Finally, NTSA promotes recognition of the multiple benefits of modeling and simulation among sectors that have yet to fully embrace the technology.

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