How to Build a Portable Laparoscopic Trainer for Smartphones and Tablets

Abstract

Introduction:

The laparoscopic trainers are an essential part of any minimally invasive surgical education program. These trainers have proven to be reliable tools for the acquisition and continuous improvement of the surgeon's psychomotor skills, which may be transferable to the operating room. ^1,2 However, the scope to acquire these devices is very limited due to the cost ^3,4 and their bulky design. ^5,6 Some authors present solutions of laparoscopic trainers using inexpensive materials, widely available in stores. ^{7 –9} Currently, the tablet device is being proposed for learning and training of the surgical resident. ¹⁰ We present a step-by-step guide of how to build a portable laparoscopic trainer for smartphones and tablets using a clear plastic document holder case and some white surgical adhesive tape.

Materials and Methods:

To create the cavity, we used a clear white plastic document holder case (35 cm length×26.5 cm width×4.5 cm height). On its front side, we drilled two holes of 6 mm that serve as entry ports of the laparoscopic instruments. In the center, we drilled a window of 2×5 cm for the smartphone or tablet camera, which works as our camera of this trainer. The back side was cut to allow the movement of instruments and the placement of the tasks. With the remaining plastic material, we built the supports of the laparoscopic trainer and the smartphone/tablet camera. For the training process, we activated the video application “app” of the smartphone or tablet and the camera is aligned toward the workspace of the trainer.

Description of Video:

00.10, Materials required; 00.30, creating the ports for the laparoscopic instruments; 01.00, cutting a window for the smartphone or tablet camera; 01.22, cutting the back side of the case; 01.55, marking and cutting the long strips and the support of the camera; 02.32, assembly instructions; 04.01, demonstration of the trainer in tasks as: transfer, pattern cutting, and intracorporeal knot suture; 04.44, connecting the smartphone/tablet camera to a LCD monitor to simulated the laparoscopic stack.

Results:

The build of the laparoscopic trainer took about 1 hour. No special tool was used for its construction. The result was a portable, low-cost, and fully functional laparoscopic trainer, ideal for the acquisition of psychomotor skills in training tasks as: transfer, pattern cutting, and intracorporeal knot.

Conclusions:

We described a portable, reusable, and easy to build laparoscopic trainer using a clear plastic document holder case and smartphone or tablet as a replacement to the laparoscopic camera. The trainer allows the learning of the resident surgeon's skills with any platform, anywhere, at your own pace. In addition, the resident surgeon can record, store, and transfer online their performance for assessment and advice from senior surgeon. The camera of this trainer, based on a smartphone or a tablet device, can be connected to a monitor or projector for demonstration or education purposes.

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

Runtime of video: 5 mins 31 secs