Life-like model torsos capable of beating, breathing and bleeding like humans have been developed by researchers from Nottingham Trent University to enable trainee surgeons to practice emergency operations for knife and gunshot wounds.

These realistic model torsos have been developed for trainee surgeons to practice locating and stopping catastrophic bleeds from the chest, thereby saving people's lives.

Source: Nottingham Trent University

The team suggests that these models will mimic the experience of locating the injury rapidly, controlling the bleed and then suturing it before the patient runs out of blood.

The trainees begin their simulation by opening the model’s chest using surgical spreaders. They then make an incision through the pericardium, which is a thin but tough bag that surrounds the heart, ahead of repairing the injured organ.

These realistic torso models, which are based on scan data from real patients, include a pulsating flow of synthetic blood made from water-based glycerin fluid that is then pumped through the artificial body, in a process that simulates arterial bleeding.

While the chest cavity, which is comprised of silicone rubber, gels and fibers, fills with the synthetic blood, the trainees practice locating the injury against the clock. Using real surgical instruments to suture the organs, the models' units can then be resealed

"The aim is to give trainee surgeons the opportunity to learn the technical aspects of emergency heart surgery in a safe environment, and to experience the time-pressure and tactile aspects of this live-saving operation,” the team explained. "This technology can simulate the bleeding from a traumatic injury to a vital organ, providing the actual experience and limited visibility that surgeons must face on the operating table."