Simulated, representative high-fidelity organosilicate tissue models

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9805624-B2
Application number	US-201213630715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method of making a tissue model comprises determining one or more material properties of a tissue, wherein the one or more material properties include at least one of mechanical properties, electroconductive properties, optical properties, thermoconductive properties, chemical properties, and anisotropic properties, creating an anatomical structure of the tissue, selecting an artificial tissue material having one or more material properties that substantially correspond to the one or more material properties of the tissue, and coupling the artificial tissue material to the anatomical structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a training model for training a medical or veterinary practitioner on performance of a medical or veterinary procedure, the method comprising:
determining one or more first deformability properties of a soft tissue that is part of an anatomical system relevant to the procedure, the soft tissue having an anatomical structure within the relevant anatomical system, wherein the one or more first deformability properties include a Young's modulus of the soft tissue within the relevant anatomical system;
selecting a composition of a silicone-based model material comprising an organosilicate material including a platinum-based silicone rubber or a tin-cured silicone rubber so that, when cured, the silicone-based model material will have one or more second deformability properties that are within 10% of the one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue within the relevant anatomical system;
applying the silicone-based model material onto a model support structure and thereby forming a tissue model having a geometry that corresponds to the anatomical structure of the soft tissue; and
curing the applied silicone-based model material and thereby forming the training model such that the cured silicone-based model material has the geometry that corresponds to the anatomical structure of the soft tissue within the relevant anatomical system and such that the cured silicone-based model material has the one or more second deformability properties that are within 10% of the one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue are determined from a tissue property database.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the tissue property database is generated by:
harvesting a soft tissue specimen from a human;
measuring or calculating the one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue specimen; and
recording the measured or calculated one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue specimen in the tissue property database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating the model support structure, wherein creating the model support structure comprises forming a three-dimensional structure of at least the portion of the relevant anatomical system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying an indicator material to the silicone-based model material.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the indicator material comprises a light-sensitive material that changes color under light having a first wavelength.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the light-sensitive material is transparent to light having a wavelength in a visible-light range.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first wavelength is in one of an ultraviolet wavelength range or an infrared wavelength range.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the indicator material comprises applying the indicator material in a pattern.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning a sensor on or in the silicone-based model material, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a strain gauge, a capacitive diaphragm, an electromagnetic inductance diaphragm, an optical strain detection sensor, a potentiometer mechanism, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, a dynamic switch element, a piezoelectric sensor, a flow sensor, and a leak testing pressure sensor.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, in addition to the one or more first deformability properties of the soft tissue, one or more additional mechanical properties of the soft tissue, the one or more additional mechanical properties comprising at least one of viscoelasticity, yield stress, strain at yield, engineering stress, indentation, tear stress, strain rate insensitivity, and a portion of a stress-strain curve of the soft tissue, wherein the silicone-based model material further comprises one or more corresponding mechanical properties, and wherein the one or more corresponding mechanical properties are within 10% of the one or more additional mechanical properties of the soft tissue, wherein the one or more corresponding mechanical properties comprise at least one of viscoelasticity, yield stress, strain at yield, engineering stress, indentation, tear stress, strain rate insensitivity, and a portion of a stress-strain curve of the silicone-based model material.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining one or more first optical properties of the soft tissue in addition to determining the one or more first deformability properties; and
wherein the composition of the silicone-based model material is selected so that the silicone-based model material includes one or more second optical properties that are within 10% of the one or more first optical properties of the soft tissue.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more first optical properties comprise at least one of reflectivity, light transmission of a selected range of wavelengths, and light absorption of a selected range of wavelengths by the soft tissue, and wherein the one or more second optical properties comprise at least of reflectivity, light transmission of a selected range of wavelengths, and light absorption of a selected range of wavelengths by the silicone-based model material.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a set of one or more additional material properties of the soft tissue in addition to determining the one or more first deformability properties and the one or more first optical properties, wherein the one or more additional material properties comprise at least one of an electroconductive property, a thermoconductive property, a chemical property, and an anisotropic property; and
wherein the selected silicone-based model material includes a set of one or more corresponding additional material properties that is within 10% of the set of one or more additional material properties of the soft tissue.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the silicone-based model material to the model support structure comprises applying a plurality of layers of the silicone-based model material to the model support structure, and wherein curing the silicone-based model material comprises curing the applied layers of the silicone-based model material, wherein each of the plurality of layers of the cured silicone-based model material has a layer geometry that corresponds to a corresponding anatomical structure of a corresponding layer of the relevant anatomical structure of the soft tissue.

16. A training model for training a medical or veterinary practitioner on performance of a medical or veterinary procedure, the training model comprising:
a three-dimensional support structure; and
a silicone-based model material coupled to the three-dimensional support structure, the silicone-based model material comprising an organosilicate material including a platinum-based silicone rubber or a tin-cured silicone rubber, wherein the silicone-based model material has a geometry that corresponds to an anatomical structure of a corresponding soft tissue that is part of an anatomical system relevant to the procedure, wherein a composition of the silicone-based model material is selected to have one or more deformability properties, including a Young's modulus of the silicone-based model material, wherein the one or more deformability properties of the silicone-based model material are within 10% of one or more corresponding deformability properties of the corresponding soft t

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Reihsen Troy E
• Sweet Robert M
• Burke Daniel M

Classifications

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G16H50/50

  for simulation or modelling of medical disorders · CPC title

• G09B23/28

  for medicine · CPC title

• G09B23/30 Primary

  Anatomical models {(G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence)} · CPC title