Medical Training Resources
Companies Developing Commercial Non-Animal Simulation Models for Surgical and Procedural Medical Training
3D Life provides 3D-printed anatomical models for surgical training, benefiting both trainees and experienced surgeons. These models allow unlimited practice on specific conditions without patient risk, enhancing preparedness for real cases. 3D Life provides anatomical models for heart, neurosurgery, gynecology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, transplant, and plastic surgery.
This course includes information on how to set up a simulation lab, including those that are using non-animal models.
Fusetech manufactures medical training devices and specializes in anatomically accurate surgical training models that are “fast becoming an adjunct to, and in some cases a replacement for, cadavers and wet specimens in a wide range of demonstration and training environments.” Their models can be used for orthopedic, neurology spine, gynecology, and otolaryngology training.
IMRA has developed a robotic surgery education program, stating, “That’s why we have developed a flexible and innovative approach to surgical education that allows physicians to learn at their own pace, from the comfort of their own homes, and without the need for animal testing. Our precision-based training utilizes synthetic tissue models that can be tailored to specific clinical situations, providing surgeons with the skills they need to succeed in the operating room.” They also create ethical synthetic organs for surgical practice.
Inovus provides animal-free laparoscopic simulators, hysteroscopic simulators, and basic surgical skill simulators.
MaxFi offers state-of-the-art medical training solutions, including high-fidelity simulators designed to enhance surgical skill development. Their advanced blood pump technology accurately replicates physiological blood flow, allowing trainees to practice complex procedures in a realistic environment.
Educators using Medtronic Touch Surgery can access more than 200 simulations from 17 different medical specialties by downloading the free app.
Osso VR is a surgical training and assessment platform that gives medical device companies and healthcare professionals radically better ways to share, practice, and learn new skills and procedures without the use of animals.
SynDaver Labs provides advanced synthetic human and animal models for medical training, research, and education. Their lifelike models replicate human tissue, organs, and vascular structures, allowing realistic surgical practice without the need for cadavers or live subjects.
This company offers multiple platforms to help trainees in general surgery, gastroenterology, pulmonology, obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), orthopedic surgery, urology, anesthesiology, critical care, and veterinary surgery.
SurgeonsLab provides advanced, high-fidelity surgical simulators for medical training, allowing trainees to develop critical skills in neurovascular, microvascular, spinal, and neuro-oncology procedures. Their innovative blood pump technology replicates realistic blood flow, enhancing hands-on practice in complex surgical techniques.
SurgeryLabs works with King’s College London, the European Paediatric Surgeons’ Association, and Imperial College and has developed non-animal simulation models built from 3D printing and silicone to provide high-fidelity reusable models for a realistic learning experience.
VirtaMed offers mixed-reality simulation for orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, and general surgery.
Resources on Non-Animal Simulation Models for Surgical and Procudural Medical Training
Bian Z, Zhang Y, Ye G, Guo F, Mu Y, Fan Y, et al. Laparoscopic training on virtual-reality simulators or live pigs—a randomized controlled trial. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2023;85(7):3491-3496. doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000000798
Bilello L, Ketterer A, Yarza S, Chiu D, Rosen C. Procedural training models among emergency medicine residency programs. Clin Exp Emerg Med. 2021;8(1):37-42. doi:10.15441/ceem.20.088
Costello DM, Huntington I, Burke G, et al. A review of simulation training and new 3D computer-generated synthetic organs for robotic surgery education. J Robot Surg. 2022;16(4):749-763. doi:10.1007/s11701-021-01302-8
Goolsby C, Branting A, Ausman J, et al. Systematic review of live tissue versus simulation education for prehospital trauma providers. Mil Med. 2017;182(9):e1824-e1833. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-17-00026
Gruber FP, Dewhurst DG. Alternatives to animal experimentation in biomedical education. ALTEX. 2024;21(Supp. 1):33–48.
Ormandy E, Schwab JC, Suiter S, Green N, Oakley J, Osenkowski P, Sumner C. Animal dissection vs. non-animal teaching methods: A systematic review of pedagogical value. ABT. 2022;84(7):399–404. doi:10.1525/abt.2022.84.7.399
Raison N, Harrison P, Abe T, Aydin A, Ahmed K, Dasgupta P. Procedural virtual reality simulation training for robotic surgery: A randomised controlled trial. Surg Endosc. 2021;35(12):6897-6902. doi:10.1007/s00464-020-08197-w
Rubeis G, Steger F. Is live-tissue training ethically justified? An evidence-based ethical analysis. Altern Lab Anim. 2018;46(2):65-71. doi:10.1177/026119291804600206
Samia H, Khan S, Lawrence J, Delaney CP. Simulation and its role in training. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2013;26(1):47-55. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1333661
Savage EC, Tenn C, Vartanian O, et al. A comparison of live tissue training and high-fidelity patient simulator: A pilot study in battlefield trauma training. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2015;79(4 Suppl 2):S157-S163. doi:10.1097/TA.0000000000000668
Swain CS, Cohen HML, Helgesson G, Rickard RF, Karlgren K. Exploring the scientific conversation regarding live tissue training in trauma surgery: A bibliometric analysis. J Surg Educ. 2024;81(12):103295. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2024.09.014
Swain CS, Cohen HML, Helgesson G, Rickard RF, Karlgren K. A systematic review of live animal use as a simulation modality (“live tissue training”) in the emergency management of trauma. J Surg Educ. 2023;80(9):1320-1339. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.06.018
Swain CS, Karlgren K. Comment on: “A Role for Live-Animal Models in Undergraduate Surgical Education During the Cadaver Shortage”. Ann Surg Open. 2023;4(3):e305. doi: 10.1097/AS9.0000000000000305.
