Biotechnology: A Synthetic Dog Is Expected to Revolutionize Surgical Training for Veterinarians

Based in Tampa, Florida, the biotechnology company SynDaver Labs has just developed a highly realistic and detailed canine mannequin, the SynDaver Synthetic Canine, designed to replace live animals in veterinary education. The American company has been working on this synthetic canine model since October 2015 and is running an online crowdfunding campaign to finance the production of its new creation. The ultimate goal is to provide veterinary schools with accreditation worldwide with these models free of charge.   This innovative synthetic dog—which bleeds, breathes, and can even be euthanized—is intended to replace the many live dogs used by veterinary students worldwide to learn surgical techniques and practice procedures. Like the synthetic human models already on the market from SynDaver Labs, the synthetic dog is covered in a material that mimics living tissue. Anatomically sophisticated, it includes all the bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and various body systems—right down to a beating heart. It is capable of simulating programmed diseases and injuries (tumors, intestinal foreign bodies, etc.). Students must then make a diagnosis and perform surgery without causing any medical complications. The synthetic dog is compatible with all imaging exams (CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, etc.) and all surgical techniques, even those that use lasers . Thanks to this alternative, developed in collaboration with the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, SynDaver Labs hopes to meet the educational needs of veterinary schools and put an end to hands-on training on live dogs—which are subsequently euthanized—a practice common at many institutions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For the team, this innovation even represents the beginning of the end for animal testing in general. The goal is, in fact, to completely eliminate the use of live animals and cadavers in veterinary education. To achieve its goal, the American company has launched an ambitious fundraising campaign—aiming to raise $24 million—on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo.com *. Donations start at $5. If it succeeds in raising this amount within two months, the company has pledged to donate up to 20 of its prototypes (which currently cost $28,500 each, or €25,500) to approximately 50 accredited veterinary schools and colleges worldwide. It takes several hundred hours of work to manufacture each SynDaver Synthetic Canine, and this budget will enable the rapid production of 1,000 units. Furthermore, if the goal is exceeded, the company plans to develop a synthetic cat, the SynDaver Synthetic Feline , before moving on to equine and bovine models. * https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/syndaver-synthetic-canine-a-veterinary-revolution#/  

SynDaver B-roll from Judge PR on Vimeo.

 

SynDaver B-Roll 2 from Judge PR on Vimeo.