Software engineering for simulation systems in medical training: some initial experiences

In this paper, we describe our experiences of an ongoing project to develop a simulation system for ultrasound training. Ultrasound is a non-invasive technique to scan bodily organs using harmless sound waves. Because of the effectiveness of the ultrasound technology it is widely used by medical practitioners in health care establishments. However, gaining expertise in ultrasound technology requires a long time because of the complex hand-eye coordination required to perform ultrasound scans. To this end, the goal of this simulation system is to help medical practitioners gain expertise in ultrasound technology in relatively short period of time. In this paper we describe the requirements engineering, design and developmental challenges of this simulation system along with some initial evaluations.