James V. Harmon Jr., MD, PhD and Lauren Weaver, MD

Department of Surgery Receives Translational Grant to Develop 3D Laparoscopic Simulator

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Sophie Hergott, Student Communications and Marketing Assistant
2 minutes
The Department of Surgery has been awarded a translational research grant through the Office of Discovery and Translation (ODAT), part of the University of Minnesota's Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).

The $59,858 award will support the project titled "Design, Construction and Validation of a Laparoscopic Surgical Simulator: Repair of a Perforated Peptic Ulcer."

Led by Associate Professor in the Division of Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery James V. Harmon Jr., MD, PhD, and Surgical Simulation Fellow Lauren Weaver, MD, the project addresses the limited clinical experience surgical trainees have with rare but critical procedures like repairing perforated peptic ulcers. The grant supports the creation of a flexible, five-color 3D-printed simulation model of the upper abdominal organs, which will be tested for accuracy and effectiveness through validation and task analysis.

Once validated, the simulator will be used at the University's M Simulation Center, where surgical trainees will practice identifying and repairing perforated peptic ulcers using laparoscopic or robotic techniques. This award supports the development of realistic 3D-printed surgical models to help trainees build minimally invasive skills for this procedure. While the technique has proven benefits over open surgery, it has not been widely adopted. The project aims to improve training opportunities and, in turn, support better patient outcomes.

"Simulation training remains a valuable platform to build surgical skills and gain confidence to perform less common procedures", said Dr. Harmon. Minimally invasive surgical skills gained through simulation training can translate to other procedures that will benefit patients when minimally invasive techniques offer benefits over open surgical approaches. 

The project is a collaborative effort between the Department of Surgery, M Simulation, the Device Development Center, and our two Surgical Interest Groups. The coordination of these four groups was made possible through the leadership and expertise of co-PI and surgical simulation fellow, Dr. Lauren Weaver.

The funding period begins June 2, 2025, and runs through June 1, 2026.