Development of a high-fidelity, 3D-printed Veau-II cleft palate simulator with patient-specific capabilities
Michaels RE, Witsberger CA, Cin MD et al. | Journal of 3D Printing in Medicine, 6(2) (ePub ahead of print) (2022)
Keywords: 3D printing • cleft palate • otolaryngology • plastic surgery • simulation • surgery • surgical training
Patients with orofacial clefts often experience limited access to surgical correction. To address this issue, this research team focused on creating a low-cost, high-fidelity, 3D-printed Veau-II cleft palate surgical simulator. For this, the cleft palate simulator was designed utilizing de-identified computed tomography data and computer-aided design software. The simulator then underwent multi-institutional expert otolaryngologist validation. The research group found that, when ranked on a scale of 1–5, the cleft palate simulator was rated 3.8 as a training tool, 4.20 as a competency evaluation tool and 4.20 as a rehearsal tool. The simulator was also rated 4.20 in regards to its relevance and 4.60 in regards to its usefulness. In conclusion, the low-cost, high-fidelity Veau-II cleft palate simulator was rated highly for physical attributes, realism, performance and usefulness.
