• colon
• colonoscopy
• flexible sensors
• gastrointestinal tract
• medical trainining
• peristalsis
• pneumatic
• sensors
• simulation
• simulator

The importance of simulators in medical training is well established by numerous studies that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving, assessing and maintaining performance in gastrointestinal endoscopy. In particular, in the first phase of training, physical simulators are of central importance. However, they are limited due to the lack of various simulation scenarios, unrealistic visual feedback, absence of feedback from the procedure's performance, as well as cost. Numerous efforts have been made in research to address a model that is realistic, both visually and biomechanically, but more affordable; nevertheless, some features of the gastrointestinal tract are still not mimicked in simulation, such as the presence of the peristaltic waves.
This thesis project aims to improve a pre-existing low-cost physical colon simulator with new features. In particular, pneumatic chambers that can simulate the peristaltic waves were designed based on state-of-the-art requirements with materials and technologies that respect the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the initial design. In parallel, efforts were also made to include flexible sensors that would not alter the overall simulator behaviour but could be used to provide performance feedback, allowing the construction of the performance curve during the training process. The complete setup, consisting of sensors and chambers, was then assembled around a colon flexure and tests were conducted to evaluate overall performance.