Surgical Training Device

Training Device to Improve Physician Microlaryngeal Surgical Dissection

Application

Training device that simulates the human vocal fold (SVF) is designed to assist in the development of fine manual dexterity and instrument precision necessary for physicians to perform microlaryngeal surgical dissection.

Key Benefits

The SVF housed within a plastic larynx model approximates the both the delicate tissue and limited operating access typical in microlaryngeal surgery.
SVF can be created to mimic various surgical scenarios such as vocal polyps, cysts, and benign or malignant neoplasms.

Technical Summary

Microlaryngeal surgery requires fine manual dexterity and precise control of surgical instruments. The delicate nature of this technique exhibits a steep learning curve and requires significant training to achieve proficiency. As such, training of new physicians is hindered by the liability of developing their technique on live patients. This problem is compounded by limited access to, and the expense of cadavers. This training device is designed to simulate the vocal fold (SVF) and facilitate training of microlaryngeal dissection. The replaceable, three-part SVF is composed a of top layer which emulates the epithelium of a vocal fold, an inner layer that emulates the superficial lamina propia, and bottom layer which adheres the SVF to the larynx model. The SVF is designed to reflect the anatomical features of the vocal fold, including thickness and texture, and allows the top layer to be "dissected" away from the inner layer by applying low-force movements similar to those utilized in actual surgeries. Additionally, the SVF can be modified to incorporate a variety of conditionals and pathologies. This allows the trainee to practice a wide variety of techniques ranging from cutting the epithelium to removal of nodes, cysts, and tumors.