Medical simulations are important tools that allow students to practice surgeries. However, they are incredibly expensive, making it difficult for many students to gain the firsthand knowledge of surgery in school. Our discount dummy is designed to be a cheaper model of a cesarean section simulation. In many parts of the world, c-sections aren't used frequently due to a lack of knowledge and supplies, resulting in problems during pregnancy or even death. Our simulation educates students on various problems with pregnancy that result in a c-section procedure. By making our simulation cheaper, we hope to expand the number of people who can be educated on the importance of c-sections by making surgical simulations a more accessible teaching tool.
Our discount dummy currently has four main parts: the abdomen, uterus, placenta, and baby. The abdomen and uterus were modeled in Rhino and then milled on NuVu's CNC machine. Afterward, we vacuum formed both the uterus and placenta to make hollow pieces that stayed in the shape we were looking for. This method of creating the uterus and abdomen allowed us to achieve the exact shape we were looking for while only using a few pieces of plastic in the actual product. The placenta is made of fabric, stuffing, and velcro, allowing it to un-attach from the abdomen and lose pieces during the surgery process, a common problem in c-section procedures. The baby is made of laser cut wood and covered in fabric and stuffing.