The amazing robot patients with beating hearts, dilating eyes and real wounds, being used to train medical students of the future

Stan is a 'human patient simulator' who breathes, has a pulse, and an arm that can receive an IV. He can also have blood pressure readings

His vital signs appear on a real monitor and change when given treatments

His robot relations include Reg, who can describe his symptoms and give blood, a pregnant woman, two child models and a baby

Stan is a model patient who never complains, despite having copious cuts and bruises and having suffered strokes, lung cancer and even the deadly virus Ebola.



He puts up with being poked and prodded by hundreds of students seeking to find out what's wrong with him.



But then Stan isn't your average sick person. He's a 'human patient simulator' who can be programmed to display symptoms from a variety of maladies.



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Stan can be used in a series of real-life scenarios that medical students can expect to encounter as doctors

Robot patient 'Stan' is worked on by anesthetist Dr Donna Fraser at the Scottish Clinical Simulation Centre. Stan's lungs physically consume oxygen and produce CO2 Stan's the man: The high-tech mannequin has numerous functions

The sophisticated robot breathes (he takes in oxygen and expels carbon dioxide), has a pulse, and an arm that can receive an IV.

He can also have blood pressure readings taken and has reactive eyes that dilate in response to light. His vital signs appear on a real clinical monitor and change in accordance to treatment.



Most importantly, he can be controlled by computer to react to various treatments second by second.



For instance, he can respond to procedures such as CPR, intravenous medication and ventilation.



In this way, Stan gives medical students valuable insight into handling real-life scenarios and crucially, if they make a mistake, nobody dies.

Stan, made from hard and soft rubberised plastic, takes pride of place at the newly-opened Scottish Clinical Simulation Centre. Underneath the casing, he consists of various wires, motors, tubes, hoses, speakers and computer chips.



Anaesthetist Dr Donna Fraser, said the centre based at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert would provide useful practical experience for students.



'Learning from a text book is very different from having equipment in your hand, people talking to you and machines making noises,' she said.

Stan displaying a nasty leg wound. Hi-tech dummies are increasingly being used to train medics

BabySim coos and cries and produces secretions from the ears, eyes and mouth

Baby care: The tot is controlled by computer to react to various treatments

Stan is just one of a family of seven hi-tech dummies, developed by CAE Healthcare. His robot relations include Reg who can describe his symptoms and give blood and will be used to train emergency doctors and nurses. There is also a pregnant woman, two child models and a baby.



Weighing 16lbs, BabySim is an infant simulator with eyes that blink, pupils that dilate, cooing, crying, tearing and secretions from the ears, eyes and mouth. It can also produce heart, bowel and breath sounds and movements. The rubbery mode l allows for blocked airways and can be used for safe practice of needle decompression and chest tube insertion.

Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil, who visited the centre this week, said: 'Stan, Reg and the rest of the family are brilliant. Reg was even able to tell me how he was feeling - we had a good chat and I am glad to hear the students here are treating him well.'

Around 1,000 doctors and medical staff will be trained each year using the mannequins.



Ben Shippey education co-ordinator watches on the screens as robot patient Stan is worked on by staff

Dr Michael Moneypenny, director of the centre, said the facility was aimed at improving patient safety.



'Feedback from course participants has been extremely positive, with staff reporting that they feel more confident and skilled in how they apply their knowledge, particularly in managing medical emergencies, which ultimately benefits patients,' he said.

VIDEO Meet Stan, the Human Patient Simulator...



