(NU/1757) Supply and Installation of Dental Haptic Simulators

Within Newcastle University, The School of Dental Sciences, is home to almost 500 undergraduates studying dentistry and dental therapy. As part of the undergraduate teaching the School currently use "phantom head" which are traditional units with a mannequin which allows demonstration, procedure rehearsal and safety confirmation using a range of plastic and/or natural teeth. To further help students bridge the gap between pre-clinical and clinical training the University is looking to invest in five haptic simulators. Haptic simulators are used in a range of sectors, most notably flight simulation for training and revalidation, in dentistry they are used to provide a realistic virtual simulation offering continuous and objective feedback, validated assessment of competence and revalidation all in a high-fidelity virtual environment. One major limitation of traditional dental simulation is the ability to do things once - a single cavity preparation or single patient episode - haptic simulators allow procedure rehearsal multiple times before being carried out on a 'live' patient. The scope of the contract is for the supply, delivery, installation of 5 dental haptic simulators and operator chairs. The contract must also include training of staff as part of the installation programme.