Specialist medical mannequins paired with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) will improve patient safety and save the NHS money, thanks to research at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Nearly half a million pounds has been awarded to a project led by local start-up Ashmount Services Ltd in collaboration with DMU, to develop a new way to support doctors with their training.
The Innovate UK Smart grant, awarded by UK Research and Innovation, will give experts from DMU and Ashmount Services Ltd 18 months to develop SIMS – the world’s first medical training of its kind.
Pairing specialist medical mannequins and cutting-edge AI will provide doctors with personalised training, allowing them to practice medical procedures over and over again, saving the NHS money on training costs and ultimately increasing patient safety.
Leading the development of SIMS is principal investigator Dr Farukh Farukh from DMU’s School of Engineering and Sustainable Development, specialising in material, manufacturing and sustainability. DMU’s artificial Intelligence and machine learning expert Dr Daniyal Haider, from the School of Computer Science and Informatics, is co-investigator on the project.
Unlike what’s currently available, the AI used for SIMS will show scanned X-ray and CT scan data in real-time, allowing trainees to carry out a procedure on specialist medical mannequin multiple times, while providing valuable feedback.
Using scanned data instead of live ultrasound images also means that the air cavities produced by needles inserted into the mannequins during previous sessions, won’t cause image obstructions for the next trainee.
The modular mannequin design allows relevant parts to be passed through a heated cycle to remove the needle holes produced during training sessions, making them more durable.
Source: DMU helps win £500,000 grant to improve NHS patient safety
