An ophthalmology professor and entrepreneur at Penn State Hershey Medical Center has developed a surgical simulator for eye surgery. It’s part of a trend in healthcare in which surgical simulators become more effective training tools than animals. As simulation technology gets more innovative, it offers a more flexible tool to test the proficiency of surgeons-in-training at teaching hospitals.
Dr. Joseph Sassani founded Simulation Systems Inc. about one year ago. It’s one of a group of life science companies to receive a total of $1 million in funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central Pennsylvania
In addition to serving as a teaching tool for surgical residents, the simulator would be used to help physicians learn new surgical techniques and keep their skills up, Viviane Martin, the deputy director of Technology Development at Hershey, told MedCity News. Beyond ophthalmology, the simulation software platform could be adapted for other indications, such as microsurgery, Martin added.
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Halare’s breathing device, designed to reduce the symptoms of chronic pulmonary problems, such as sleep apnea, also attracted new capital as did BioMagnetic Solutions. The biotechnology startup serves the research community. It is developing a next-generation diagnostic for cancer and cardiology issues.