Development and preliminary evaluation of a novel arm simulator and synthetic blood for venipuncture training among health science students

Information from the abstract

Venipuncture is an essential skill for health science students, but many struggle to learn because they lack realistic equipment for practice. The objective of this study was to develop an arm simulator and synthetic blood with physical features similar to human anatomy to enhance student learning. The arm simulator uses natural latex to create flexible and durable skin over medical rubber tubes that simulate the median cubital, cephalic, and basilic veins. The system also includes a touch-screen pump to control blood flow and is designed to be easy to wash after use. The synthetic blood color #660808 was adjusted using red food coloring powder, red yeast rice powder, and instant coffee powder. This mixture was then combined with xanthan gum and glycerin to match the viscosity and density of human blood. According to our tests, the best mix of synthetic blood was formula 9, which had a viscosity of 4.02 cP, a specific gravity of 1.063, and a density of 1.056 g/mL. These values closely resemble those found in human blood. We tested the efficiency of the arm simulator and synthetic blood with 60 medical technology students. The results showed a very high level of reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha (𝛼) of 0.946. Senior students (Years 3 and 4) performed significantly better than junior students (Years 1 and 2) with a p -value less than 0.05, providing preliminary evidence that the assessment tool can differentiate between users with varying levels of experience. The students were notably satisfied with the training set, especially for its realistic appearance. This developed arm simulator and synthetic blood set demonstrates potential as a preliminary training tool. TCTR20260726009 (registered on 26/07/2026); retrospectively registered; https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20260726009 .

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Related topics: Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare · Surgical Simulation and Training · Anatomy and Medical Technology