LifeLike BioTissue is a healthcare simulation company specializing in simulated tissues for surgical training and medical device validation. Behaving like real tissue, the company’s medical simulator materials and models mimic the mechanical properties, feel and anatomy of the human body. These task trainers offer unique learning experiences!
The company’s technology has the potential to replicate a wide array of complex human soft tissues from fat to arterial blood vessels and everything in between. Developing a growing suite of products that have the same mechanical properties as live tissue, LifeLike BioTissue products are ideal for the acquisition, training and practice of basic and procedural surgical skills. The simulated tissue products have also been recognized for their excellent ultrasound capability.
All products developed by LifeLike BioTissue undergo a rigorous development and testing process. The company works closely with Surgeons and medical companies to ensure the exactness of the feel, strength and mechanical properties of the simulated tissues.
LifeLike BioTissue’s customized artificial soft tissue can be used for the research and development of new medical devices. This is because the soft tissue models have been tested by major medical device companies against both animal tissues and competitors worldwide. The company’s simulated tissues look, feel and behave like human tissue, and deliver more reliable tissue properties and responses comparable to human tissues.
The shelf life of LifeLike BioTissue products, when stored properly, can last for several months or even years depending on the amount of use. The storage procedures are easy to follow. The material needs to be kept hydrated with regular tap water when in use for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
Models can be kept in sealed bags, which are provided upon purchase when not in use or placed in a container with regular tap water if the model will be used in high frequency or stored for long periods. The products do not need to be refrigerated or kept in a saline solution.
LifeLike BioTissue offers a variety of conduits in different diameters, wall thicknesses and materials. Customers can select the perfect conduit for their application and request custom sizes using a form at the bottom of LifeLike BioTissue’s website.
About LifeLike BioTissue
Headquartered in London, Ontario, Canada, LifeLike BioTissue launched in 2009 and the technology has shown the potential to replicate a wide array of complex human soft tissues. The tissues have since been sought by a growing group of global medical device companies for use in product training, demonstrations, as well as research and development.
The company’s proprietary and patent-pending technology has been under development for more than a decade by biomedical engineers at the University of Western Ontario. The technology was originally developed for implant and tissue replacement purposes.
However, thanks to support from the Ontario Centres of Excellence and the University of Western Ontario, LifeLike BioTissue Inc. was created to commercialize this high-fidelity simulation technology as a surgical simulation training tool to increase practice and help improve patient care worldwide.
To date, LifeLike BioTissue’s technology has been used in surgical skills labs in more than 50 training hospitals across the United States, Canada and Europe. According to the company, the technology continues to be acknowledged by leading surgeons as an excellent training tool. Using this technology helps learners experience situation awareness and situational awareness to ultimately promote patient safety in the field.
Helping to spread the LifeLike BioTissue mission and the use of simulated tissues across medical environments, simulation centers and sim labs, the company’s products have been presented at a variety of medical simulation conferences, exhibitions and shows, such as those hosted by SimGHOSTS, INACSL, ASPiH, SESAM, and the International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSiH).
LikeLike BioTissue Healthcare Simulation Products
Categories of LifeLike BioTissue products include cardiac, vascular, general, plastic, OB/GYN, nursing (used for simulation in nursing education), urology, suture practice, simulators and base and holders. In the cardiac category, the company produces femoral arteries, which offer a realistic and affordable solution designed for the acquisition, retention, and perfection of basic and advanced cardiac, vascular, and general surgical skills.
A thoracic aorta is another simulated cardiac tissue and is ideal for learning and practicing end-to-side anastomosis procedures, as well as other basic cardiac surgery skills. LifeLike BioTissue’s mitral valve feels, cuts, sutures and behaves like real live tissue. The mitral valve prolapse comes with an anterior and posterior leaflet prolapse A2/P2 with a torn chordae tendineae at P2 for open, minimally invasive and robotics mitral valve repair training.
As for vascular training, the LifeLike BioTissue abdominal aorta feels, sutures and behaves like real live tissue. Available as either a healthy abdominal aorta (AA) model or diseased abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) with a large aneurysm in between the renal and iliac arteries, the abdominal aorta features iliac arteries, superior and inferior mesenteric arteries, and renal arteries.
Another vascular training product, the LifeLike BioTissue carotid head simulator was designed by a senior vascular surgeon in Spain who has been involved in vascular simulation training for over 10 years with the SimuVasc organization in Europe. This vascular simulator consists of a male size head with an opening at the neck where the carotid artery with plaque is placed. Using this product, a learner can be trained on carotid dissection and carotid endarterectomy skills.
As for LifeLike BioTissue simulators, the femoral leg simulator consists of a male size leg with two openings (above and below the knee) where the LifeLike BioTissue small femoral artery is placed. Using this simulated tissue, learners can be trained on all steps of a vascular end-to-end and end-to-side anastomosis and utilize all the tools, at the right angle, to conduct their anastomosis training.
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The long femoral leg simulator is an extension of the femoral leg simulator, offering an opening at the groin. This LifeLike BiOTissue product was designed to allow for tunneling skills training in addition to all femo pop vascular skills training. Alternatively, the shunt arm simulator consists of a male size arm with a set of silicone arteries and veins. This helps learners receive instruction on basic vein to artery or artery to artery with a vein anastomosis skills practiced in the placement of shunt and AV fistulas.
LifeLike BioTissue’s AAA abdomen simulator consists of a male size torso with an opening along the middle of the chest area where the AAA Model is placed. This product provides guidance on all steps of an abdominal aortic aneurysm procedure, including how to access the abdominal aortic aneurysm, utilize all the surgical tools and repair the aneurysm at the right angles.
General training products produced by LifeLike BioTissue are a directional suture pad, embedded femoral groin model, soft tissue suture pad, VI embedded carotid arteries with plaque and dermis model, VI embedded femoral arteries with dermis model, VI embedded veins with dermis model, double layer bowel, saphenous veins, bile duct, pancreaticojejunal anastomosis model, portal vein, single layer bowel, VI box, double-layer skin, skin base, pancreas, tissue mounting pad, vessel holder, suturing kit and 2-Dmed soft tissue suture pad.
