System for a Low Cost, High Fidelity Veterinary Simulation and Related Methods

Unmet Need: Teaching veterinary operative techniques in a low-risk environment

Various learning methods are required to increase veterinary students’ comfort with surgical procedures before they work on live animals. Experiencing surgical procedures in a low-risk setting before performing a procedure in a real-life situation is very beneficial to the students. Recent studies have proposed the use of a simulation skills lab to address this need. This approach would promote the health and wellbeing of animals by reducing the need to use live animals to practice surgery in veterinary teaching hospitals. Additionally, because it eliminates the need to purchase and care for live animals, it also provides monetary savings. However, there is currently no comprehensive system available on the market that accurately mimics real-life veterinary surgical situations.

The Technology: Simulation in a veterinary teaching environment.

To address the above needs, a simulated veterinarian operating room was developed by the WSU Clinical Simulation Center. It is equipped with a functional anesthesia machine with empty vaporizers, a surplus multi parameter anesthesia patient monitor, which incorporates monitoring modules for ECG, pulse oximetry, capnography, oscillometer, non-invasive blood pressure and esophageal temperature. Other components include a fully stocked anesthesia cart containing appropriately labeled simulated drugs, intubation equipment (endotracheal tubes, laryngoscopes, tube ties, lubricant and cuff inflation syringes), a surgical table, instrument pack and draping materials (towels, towel clamps, and surgical drape). The simulated surgical situations require specific action by the veterinarian to produce a positive outcome (patient survival). This setup makes it very similar to what a veterinarian would experience in a real surgical unit.

Applications:

• Training tool for new veterinarian student.

Advantages:

• Illustrates common anesthetic procedures and complications encountered during elective canine sterilization surgeries in young, healthy patients.

• Simulation of a wide variety of surgical situations using a highly programmable patient monitor.

Patent Information: