URO Mentor®

Endourology  Surgical Training Simulator

_______________________________________

Virtual reality endourolgy training simulator...

The URO Mentor from Simbionix is changing the face of endourology training. URO offers a unique hands-on training and practice opportunity for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as well as giving trainees the chance to work with a variety of scopes and other tools.

Trainees can move from games designed to hone basic scope handling skills through to complete life-like procedures on virtual patients, either with or without instructional guides and teaching aids. Included is the simulation of cystoscopy and ureteroscopy procedures, performance of real-time fluoroscopy with simulation of C-arm control, correct tool insertion, and viewing fluoroscopy with injection of contrast agent.

The URO-PERC Mentor from Simbionix is a combined paltform for virtual reality simulation training of endourology and percutaneous access. Either the URO Mentor or PERC Mentor can be purchased separately, but a combined unit offers an exceptional value-for-money training solution.

URO Mentor comes with a number of coordination exercises including Cyberscopy. This game of basketball is available in two levels of difficulty and allows for practice and development of the following skills:

• Handling of scopes and tools

• Control and positioning of the endoscopic camera

• Movement and positioning of the C-arm

• Depth perception and orientation

• Improved response time

The Basic Tasks module consists of a selection of exercises specially designed to provide systematic learning of basic skills such as kidney inspection and bladder inspection, plus provide familiarity with the full urinary collecting system anatomy and help the identification of endourological landmarks.

   cyberscopy game

   basic tasks

URO Mentor allows for instructor login as well as trainee login. Instructors can manage all aspects of training for a single trainee, groups, or a workshop or course.

Trainees can be assigned to groups, and specific, bespoke training programmes can be built for these groups or individuals. With these training programmes, instructors can develop curriculums and determine what skills trainees should learn and in what order. It can even be determined whether trainees are allowed unlimited practice opportunities or must complete a task only a set number of times.

Instructors can compare performances of a trainee over time, or between different trainees in a set group. This will help identify areas of weakness that require additional practice (on either an individual or group level) and allow work to be assigned appropriately.

As instructors can design specific tests for trainees, set how many times they are allowed to practice and view results, URO Mentor has the unique potential to be used in assessment situations as well as training situations.

URO Mentor is built around ease of use and as such the management mode is designed to be intuitive and simple to use, thus taking less time to implement settings and design tests. All tests, results and settings can also be saved for future use eliminating the need for repetition.

The “Export Data” option also allows instructors to transfer saved information to a remote computer for future use in training sessions or group evaluations. This will take Excel format for easy compatibility.

   create tutorials

trainee management

All full procedures on URO Mentor come with complete performance feedback. This can be viewed by trainees as a way of assessing their own performance and learning where they need to improve, and can also be viewed by instructors.

Feedback consists of a comprehensive list of parameters, varying according to procedure. Many of the parameters, provide more information than can be gained from observation alone, or could be perceived in real life. This information is crucial for trainees new and experienced in order to assess factors such as levels of safety and efficiency, and promotes the adherence to best-practice techniques.

The data also allows trainees and instructors to monitor improvement over the duration of training.

performance feedback

performance parameters include:

X-ray exposure (minutes of)

Perforations (number of)

Laser work time spent less than 3mm from scope

EHL work time spent less than 3mm from scope

Laser misfires (number of)

and many more...

URO Mentor comes with a comprehensive library of virtual patients. These have been created through collaboration between software and graphics teams and medical experts. Each virtual patient is based on real patient data and have their own patient files with histories, imaging results and test results.

Furthermore, this library of virtual patients is constantly growing with new additions being created which can then be uploaded onto the system.

These virtual patients allow for practice on rare or difficult procedures before encountering them in real life.

Familiarity with tools is an essential part of surgical skills training. URO Mentor simulates four virtual scopes which include channels for tool insertion. There are already well over twenty different tools, with more being created. Many of the tools can be seen below.

The tool handles are authentic, operating exactly as they do in real life. Allowing trainees to get familiar with the tools on a simulator before use provides a more relaxed training environment and also eliminates the problem of expensive tools being damaged during practice.

Guide wires:

• Amplatz 0.025

• Bentson 0.038

• Hydrophilic 0.038
• Hydrophilic 0.035

Baskets:

• Flat wire 3F

• Flat wire 4.5F

• Helical 3F

• Helical 4.5F

• Tipless 2.2F
• Tipless 4.5F

Forceps:

• Cup biopsy

• Grasping (Alligator)

• Rat tooth
 

Stone lithotriptors:

• EHL

• Holmium - YAG 20W

• Pneuma
 

Electrodes:

• Ball Tip

• Hook Tip (3F)

• Hook Tip (8)
 

Stents:

• Left Dbl pigtail

• Right Dbl pigtail
 

Balloons:

• Ureteral dillation

View a stricture treatment demo

URO Mentor offers a true-to-life endourological environment in which to learn and practice navigation skills. Features include real-time fluoroscopy with injection of contrast agent and simulated C-Arm control. A press on the C-Arm control buttons will rotate the arm or move it forward and back to provide accurate placement. Zoom in for a closer look or out to view a larger area.

build your own training curriculum

I

performance feedback

I

complete set of scopes & tools

I

multiple skill levels

I

teaching aids

I

excellent support

I

based on real patient data

I

wide variety of patients & pathologies

C-Arm control