Virtual Neonatal Echocardiographic Training System: Background

• Training in neonatal point-of-care echocardiography is a complex process which requires comprehensive theoretical knowledge and extensive hands-on training.
• Due to restricted access to live subjects, particularly neonates, opportunities for practical training are limited.
• Most transthoracic echocardiographic simulators are based on 4D image volumes which are obtained from other imaging platforms such as MRI and are rendered to duplicate echocardiographic images. These type of simulators are not available for neonates.
• Weidenbach et al introduced 2D echocardiography simulation by use of real 3D image volumes which have been used both for transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography and have recently a training simulator for echocardiography in neonates
• However, presently available transthoracic echocardiographic simulators based on real 3D volumes are restricted to 2D echocardiography lacking other modalities such as color flow Doppler, spectral Doppler and M-mode. Furthermore, since image volumes are obtained either from subcostal or apical windows, simulation of echocardiography from parasternal and suprasternal windows may be suboptimal.
• Virtual Neonatal Echocardiographic Training System(VNETS) was conceived to address some of these deficiencies