Simulation-based Military Regional Anesthesia Training System

Deployed American troops suffering injuries to the extremities are best treated with regional anesthesia, which renders only a portion of the body, such as a limb, insensate. However, it is possible for long-lasting damage to occur when regional anesthesia is improperly applied. Though nerve block procedures present fairly low risk in a hospital setting, the same may not be true on the battlefield—where severe trauma cases are prevalent and fellowship trained pain management specialists are not always available. There is a need for all military anesthesiologists to undergo training for the administration of peripheral nerve blocks, yet currently no suitable mass training curriculum or training system exists. The training system must be accurate, intuitive, and convenient. Under contract with the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), Energid Technologies is developing such a training system. It includes instructional content in a standard, configurable framework, and immersive simulation of procedures to reinforce the instructional content.