The latest high-tech training tool for health professionals has been unveiled – in the form of a life-size mannequin which can bleed, vomit, sweat and even have a heart attack.
A team of researchers at the University of Portsmouth have created the £400,000 remote-controlled model, named iStan, to help provide realistic training for doctors, nurses and dentists.
iStan (pictured) has been designed to closely replicate a human’s anatomical structure from the skeleton to the eyes, which have pupils which can dilate and contract. It can also simulate a bowel protruding from the stomach, which will help doctors learn how to deal with stab victims.
Its blood pressure can also fall, internal organs can bleed, lungs collapse and its bowels even make realistic sounds. Its skin can also have goosebumps and sweat.
Phil Ashwell, a healthcare professional who teaches at the university, said the development was “very exciting”, and “a whole new world of learning”.
“The mannequins suspend disbelief and bring healthcare to life which means the quality of casualty care will improve,” he said. “The students are very lucky to learn in this safe environment. When I was training all we had to practise on was ‘Resus Annie’, a folded up mannequin in a suitcase.
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