Avkin steps up its ultra-realistic medical training

Newport-based Avkin is growing its product line.

Founded in 2015 by University of Delaware nursing faculty members Amy Cowperthwait and Heiddy DiGregorio and alumni Amy Bucha and Robert Tilly, the company manufactures what are essentially state-of-the-art fake body parts that are worn on real human actors called SPs — simulated participants or standardized patients. There’s a throat for tracheostomy training, arms for learning how to draw blood, some very realistic wounds and even parts for catheter training, all to bring healthcare students the most realistic situations short of jabbing real patients.

To expand the types of simulations they can offer, Avkin has partnered with Montreal-based Innov2Learn and Pittsburgh-based KbPort, which are collectively launching the Vital Signs Package.

The new package includes realistic sounds, including heart and lung sounds, as well as Bluetooth-controlled simulated vital signs.

The package will also include Avtech’s Avband, a device that helps educators communicate with their SPs without interrupting the simulation. Controlled via Bluetooth, it allows the educator to use different color LEDs and vibrations to cue the SP discretely, as well as a button on the device itself that allows the SP to signal the educator if they feel unsafe for any reason.

The Vital Signs Package is for use in nursing schools, colleges and other places that offer healthcare education. Check it out: