Development of New Hydrogels for Organ Simulation

In the field of medical education and training for human and veterinary physicians, there is a high demand for high-precision organ models that accurately reproduce the natural anatomy. These models should not only accurately reproduce the shape, color and texture of the organs, but also enable a realistic simulation of various diagnostic procedures. For the diagnosis of pathologies such as cysts, tumors, ruptures, hemorrhages and pneumatoceles, palpation and various imaging techniques such as ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and endoscopy are used. The present study focuses mainly on the further development of shaping processes for training models in order to optimize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of production. Various mixtures of hydrogels and related biomaterials are being systematically analyzed. A particular focus is on ultrasound imaging. Secondary parameters such as pot life, cross-linking kinetics and mold integrity are also crucial to ensure reproducibility and reliability. The main objective is to develop models that not only offer precise diagnostic performance in ultrasound imaging, but also perform convincingly in various diagnostic modalities.