Surgical Science’ Simbionix BRONCH Mentor Wins ERS 2014-2015 POINT Award

The Simbionix BRONCH Mentor™ won the Product of Outstanding Interest (POINT) award for diagnostic devices at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International congress in Munich, Germany.

The ERS created this award to recognize the importance of innovation in respiratory medicine and to reward those whose efforts have led to such advances while exposing clinicians to new technologies and ideas. The award is aimed at encouraging new innovation and application of current ideas to help solve the challenges of modern respiratory healthcare.

Bronchoscopy training has been based on the apprenticeship model: See one, do one, teach one. The ever growing number and complexity of new bronchoscopic procedures such as EBUS-TBNA, Endobronchial Valve Placement and Thermoplasty, focuses attention on patient safety and satisfaction as related to the clinical experience and physician competence.

The BRONCH Mentor provides a comprehensive training solution for pulmonary and critical care physicians, anesthesiologists and interventional pulmonologists. Essential skill tasks and complete clinical procedures offer an optimal learning environment for motor, cognitive and coordinative skills acquisition on one hand, and diagnostic and therapeutic clinical hands-on experience on the other.

Traditionally, competency is assumed when a set number of supervised procedures are performed, with reports suggesting that one-fifth of trainees may not be achieving the required number of procedures. The BRONCH Mentor’s captured performance objectives provide unique opportunities for informed self-improvement by the learner, as well as individual progress monitoring and competency assessment by an instructor. The hands-on curriculum is being developed in close collaboration with leading faculties and key opinion leaders, thus providing the most up-to-date, meaningful, hands-on training and assessment.

“Our goal is to improve patient safety by developing the world’s most advanced and realistic training products,” said Gary Zamler, Vice President and General Manager, Simbionix Products, 3DS. “We are proud to have received this award from the ERS, and see it as further recognition to the added value the BRONCH Mentor brings to clinical education and patient care.”

Click here for more information on the BRONCH Mentor.