Patent Application
20150310768
The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for surgical training and, more particularly, to systems and methods for thyroid surgery simulation.
By the end of a five-year clinical residency, general surgery residents must show competency and technical skill in a variety of areas that encompass the fundamental body of surgical care (e.g., outlined in the Surgical Council on Residency Education (SCORE) Patient Care Curriculum). In theory, most general surgery residents should be able to acquire the required competency and technical skill in most of these areas through exposure to these areas during their residency. However, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and other regulatory bodies have limited general surgery residents to an eighty-hour workweek. The limited workweek often limits the general surgery residents' exposure to one or more of the areas that encompass the fundamental body of surgical care, including thyroid surgeries (e.g., thyroid lobectomy). General surgery residents may not exhibit the required competency and technical skill related to areas with limited exposure.
The present disclosure relates generally to surgical training and, more particularly, to systems and methods for thyroid surgery simulation. For example, the thyroid surgical simulation can employ a device for simulating a thyroid surgical procedure to increase surgical proficiency for thyroid and parathyroid surgeries.
In one aspect, the present disclosure can include device for simulating at least one thyroid surgical procedure that includes a removable neck model that can be configured to be accepted into a body model. The removable neck model can include a thyroid model comprising a first lobe and a second lobe connected by an isthmus, at least two first parathyroid gland models arranged posterior to the first lobe, at least two second parathyroid gland models arranged posterior to the second lobe, and a nerve model comprising a first superior laryngeal nerve model arranged medial and posterior to the first lobe, a second superior laryngeal nerve model arranged medial and posterior to the second lobe, a first recurrent laryngeal nerve model arranged medial and posterior to the first lobe, and a second recurrent laryngeal nerve model arranged medial and posterior to the second lobe.
In another aspect, the present disclosure can include a method of training for a surgical procedure. A device for simulating a plurality of thyroid surgical procedures, configurable for at least two surgical procedures, can be presented. One of the surgical procedures can be selected, and the device can be modified for the selected surgical procedure. The selected surgical procedure can be simulated on the modified device.
In a further aspect, the present disclosure can include method for improving surgical competency. One of a plurality of surgical procedures can be selected, and a device configurable for the plurality of surgical procedures can be configured for the selected surgical procedure. Instructions associated with the selected surgical procedure can be played by a playback device that includes a processor. The selected surgical procedure can be performed using the device according to the instructions.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the context of the present disclosure, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” can also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
The terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” as used herein, can specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups.
As used herein, the term “and/or” can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Additionally, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a “first” element discussed below could also be termed a “second” element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure. The sequence of operations (or acts/steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or figures unless specifically indicated otherwise.
As used herein, the term “surgical trainer” can refer to a device (e.g., a model) that can be used to simulate one or more surgical procedures. The surgical trainer can be used by a surgeon, a surgical resident, a surgeon, a nurse, a nursing student, or other medical professional to increase competency and technical skill in a surgical procedure. A surgical trainer can also be used to simulate a surgical procedure for a patient. The terms “surgical trainer,” “training model,” and “device for simulating a surgical procedure” can be used interchangeably herein.
As used herein, the term “simulation” can refer to an imitation, reproduction, or approximation of surgical conditions. An example simulation can use a surgical trainer to approximate a thyroid surgical procedure.
As used herein, the term “thyroid surgical procedure” can refer to a surgical procedure involving the thyroid gland and/or the parathyroid gland. Examples of thyroid surgical procedures can include: a thyroidectomy, a goiter surgery, a thyroid cancer surgery, a surgery for Grave's Disease, and a parathyroidectomy.
As used herein, the term “model” can refer to a representation of a portion of a patient to be used in a simulation of an actual surgical procedure.
As used herein, the term “medical professional” can refer to any person involved the conducting a surgical procedure that can be simulated by the surgical trainer, including, but not limited to, physicians, residents, medical students, nurse practitioners, nurses, nursing students, and other operating room staff.
As used herein, the term “patient” can refer to any warm-blooded organism including, but not limited to, a human being, a pig, a rat, a mouse, a dog, a cat, a goat, a sheep, a horse, a monkey, an ape, a rabbit, a cow, etc.
The present disclosure relates generally to surgical training and, more particularly, to systems and methods for thyroid surgery simulation. The systems and methods described herein can employ a device for simulating a thyroid surgical procedure (e.g., employing a removable neck model) to increase surgical proficiency for thyroid and parathyroid surgeries. In some instances, the device described herein can allow a general surgery resident to acquire the required competency and technical skills for thyroid and parathyroid surgeries within their limited eighty-hour workweek. The device can be used in simulations that replicate actual surgical conditions, allowing general surgery residents to be exposed to these thyroid and parathyroid surgeries.
One aspect of the present disclosure can include a device for simulating at least one thyroid surgical procedure. An schematic example of a removable neck model 10 that can be removed from a device (e.g., a model of at least a portion of the patient's body including the neck) for simulating at least one thyroid surgical procedure is shown in
The removable neck model 10 can also include a nerve model that can include nerves in the neck anatomically close to the thyroid gland. For example, the nerve model can include a first superior laryngeal nerve model 14a arranged medial and posterior to the first lobe 12a, a second superior laryngeal nerve model 14c arranged medial and posterior to the second lobe 12b, a first recurrent laryngeal nerve model 14b arranged medial and posterior to the first lobe 12a, and a second recurrent laryngeal nerve model 14d arranged medial and posterior to the second lobe 12b. In some instances, the removable neck model 10 can include more nerves that innervate other areas of the neck. In other instances, the nerves can be removable and/or able to alter positions.
The body model 20 can include a chin model, a chest model, and a stationary neck model arranged between the chin model and the chest model. The stationary neck model can be configured to receive the removable neck model. In some instances, the stationary neck model can be configured to receive the removable neck model while impeded by the chin model. The impedance of the stationary neck model by the chin model emulates actual surgical conditions where a patient has a chin that can impede thyroid surgery. For example, the stationary neck model can have a length from about 10 cm to about 25 cm, and the chin model can extend over the stationary neck model for a length from about 3 cm to about 10 cm.
Another feature of the body model that can emulate actual surgical conditions is a skin model surrounding at least part of the chin model, the chest model, and the stationary neck model. Additionally, the chest model, the stationary neck model, and/or the chin model can include a muscle model and/or a connective tissue model that can further emulate actual surgical conditions. Furthermore, the stationary neck model can be covered with a removable portion to emulate the insertions that should be made during a thyroid surgical procedures.
As shown in
In some instances, the removable neck model 10 can include a trachea model arranged posterior to the isthmus 12c of the thyroid model. The first lobe 12a and the second lobe 12b of the thyroid model can surround the trachea model. The removable neck model can also include a cartilage model superior to the thyroid model that includes at least a thyroid cartilage model surrounding the trachea, and a cricoid cartilage model surrounding the trachea arranged inferior to the thyroid cartilage model. The removable neck model 10 can also include an esophagus model arranged posterior to the trachea model. The first lobe 12a and the second lobe 12b of the thyroid model can extend posteriorly reaching the esophagus model.
In other instances, the removable neck model 10 can include a blood vessel model that can include an arterial model that interfaces with the first lobe 12a and the second lobe 12b of the thyroid model and a vascular model that interfaces with the first lobe 12a and the second lobe 12b of the thyroid model. The arterial model can include one or more of: a superior thyroid artery model, a common carotid artery model, and/or an inferior thyroid artery model. The venous model can include one or more of: a superior thyroid vein model, an internal jugular vein model, and/or a middle thyroid vein model.
In some instances the removable neck model 10 can be configurable for a plurality of different thyroid surgical procedures. The playback device 40 can store instructions for the plurality of different thyroid surgical procedures, and allow a user to select the instructions one of the plurality of different thyroid surgical procedures (e.g., by presenting options corresponding to the various instructions in a menu) for playback. The selected instructions can be played back by the playback device 40 so that the user can simulate the selected thyroid surgical procedure using the removable neck model 10 according to the instructions.
A second aspect of the present disclosure can include methods that can employ a device for simulating at least one thyroid surgical procedure. An example of a method 50 for training for a surgical procedure is shown in
The methods 50, 60, and 70 are illustrated as process flow diagrams with flowchart illustrations. For purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methods 50, 60, and 70 are shown and described as executing serially, it is to be understood and appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited by the illustrated order, as some aspects could occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other aspects shown and described herein. Moreover, not all illustrated aspects may be required to implement methods 50, 60, and/or 70.
In some instances, one or more blocks of the respective flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be stored in memory and provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, and/or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the steps/acts specified in the flowchart blocks and/or the associated description. In other words, some of the steps/acts can be implemented by a system comprising a processor that can access the computer-executable instructions that are stored in a non-transitory memory.
In some instances, method 50 can be used in the training (e.g., of a medical professional) for the selected surgical procedure. The selected surgical procedure can be performed on a first patient before the selected surgical procedure is performed using the device and on a second patient after the selected surgical procedure is performed using the device. The procedure can be performed on the second patient with a greater proficiency than the procedure is performed on the first patient.
At element 66, instructions associated with the selected surgical procedure can be played (e.g., by playback device 40). In some instances, the instructions can be displayed visually. In other instances, the instructions can be played audibly. At element 68, the selected surgical procedure can be performed (e.g., in response to the instructions) using the device according to the instructions. In some instances, the selected surgical procedure can be performed on a first patient before the selected surgical procedure is performed using the device and on a second patient after the selected surgical procedure is performed using the device. The procedure can be performed on the second patient with a greater proficiency than the procedure is performed on the first patient.
For example, a scoring rubric that can be used to assess the surgical competence of a medical professional (e.g., a general surgery resident). The assessment can be conducted before training with the removable neck model 10 and after training with removable neck model 10. Generally, after the training with removable neck model 10, the medical professional will exhibit a higher score according to the scoring rubric. In some instances, the training can include one or more surgical simulations on the removable neck model 10. In other instances, the training can include two or more surgical simulations on the removable neck model 10. In still other instances, the training can include three or more surgical simulations on the removable neck model 10. For example, after the training, the medical professional can perform the surgical procedure with a greater competency.
From the above description, those skilled in the art will perceive improvements, changes and modifications. Such improvements, changes and modifications are within the skill of one in the art and are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/985,717, filed Apr. 29, 2014, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THYROID SURGERY SIMULATION.” This application is also related to U.S. Design Application No. 29/489,320, filed Apr. 29, 2014, now patented. The entirety of these provisional applications is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61985717 | Apr 2014 | US |
