How it works
First the simulation, then the operation
When aspiring surgeons want to train their skills, they do it on live patients. But this is risky. A spin-off company from the University of Bern aims to offer a safer option: by using brain models created with a 3D printer, combined with virtual simulations of the brain’s microscopic structures.
Illustration: ikonaut
The simulator also aims to make real operations safer in future. An individual model can be 3D-printed for each patient, and their own blood pressure and pulse simulated. Producing such a model takes some two days, but it means the surgeons can first practise the specific operation and plan it better. They can also then show the patient exactly what will be done to them, thereby increasing a sense of trust on both sides.
3 — Under pressure of time
This simulator is made by the spin-off SurgeonsLab. One feature that’s unique to it is how it incorporates the dimension of time. The pulse and blood flow are imitated using a pump and artificial blood, making the simulator interactive. If the surgeon is too slow, it will send vibrations to the instrument in their hand, and trigger a visual alert.
2 — Virtual training
These procedures require great manual dexterity. Researchers from the University of Bern have now developed a potential alternative for training both aspiring surgeons and those who already have experience: a 4D simulator. This comprises a physical 3D printed model of a patient’s skull, brain and blood vessels, complemented by a screen that offers a virtual representation of the brain’s microscopic structures, magnified a hundredfold. This device is already being used to train surgeons today, and it’s hoped that it can shorten the time needed before a surgeon can perform the operation in real life.
1 — A time bomb in the brain
Some two out of every 100 adults have an aneurysm in a blood vessel in their brain. These are balloon-like bulges that can rupture and sometimes lead to fatal brain haemorrhages. Surgical solutions for aneurysms are difficult and fraught with risk. A surgeon typically needs seven to 12 years of experience before they can perform such an operation on their own.
