Surgical Airway Training in Virtual Reality

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Interdisciplinary Centers, Units and Projects::Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF)::Fall Research Expo
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Health and Medical Administration
Medical Sciences
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Virtual Reality
Cricothyrotomy
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2025-09-28
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Du, Kevin
Parker, McKenna
Weber, Daniel
Duffy, Caoimhe
Dumon, Kristoffel
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Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) presents a promising avenue for medical education by providing safe, immersive training for rare but critical procedures. Cricothyrotomy, a surgical airway intervention performed only in life-threatening emergencies, is notoriously difficult to teach due to its infrequent occurrence and high stakes. To address this, we developed a VR-based cricothyrotomy training module using the Unity 3D engine, incorporating accurate anatomy, surgical tools, and guided procedural steps. The simulation emphasizes accessibility, asynchronous learning, and user-centered design, with iterative refinements informed by feedback from surgical residents. Two testing sessions demonstrated strong usability, with a mean System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 75.78 and positive reports on ease of learning, accessibility, and educational value. Limitations include reduced tactile realism and minor reports of eye strain. Future work will expand the module with unguided practice scenarios and enhanced analytics to assess performance, with the goal of validating its effectiveness against traditional training models and presenting it as a supplemental tool for global airway management education.

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2020-09-15
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This project was supported with funding from the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) program.
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