The Most Sophisticated Robotic Rectum in the World

(Photo: Imperial College London)

Do you remember Patrick, the proctology exam simulation dummy? He wowed the world with his almost lifelike representation of the human rectum. But in the intervening year, scientists and engineers have made even greater advances in the field of human rectal simulation.

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a robotic rectum that feels almost exactly like the real thing. It provides responsive haptic feedback so that as the medical student searches for and examines the prostate, the flesh-like rectum responds appropriately.

Additionally, this robotic rectum is programmable. Not all rectums are alike and doctors have to get used to the feel of different rectums. This one can provide that same variety of experiences. Quartz reports:

Doctors learn what a cancerous prostate feels like through experience. The trouble is that people don’t easily volunteer for such a probing. In the UK, there’s just one registered “rectal teaching assistant,” as volunteers are known. […]

Rectums come in all shapes and sizes, so the device presented at the Eurohaptics conference this week can be programmed, allowing the anatomy to be altered each time. The current simulation is based on scans of the UK’s only rectal teaching assistant.

-via David Thompson


Comments (1)

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Before a doctor approaches my exam room to probe me, I'd like him/her to have as much training as possible before they do. Yay, technology!

And because someone has to post a joke here, I'll say the following: Rectum? I wasn't even driving!
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There is another factor as well. Not long ago, folks weren't as mobile as they are today. The weekly shopping trip meant that you had eggs that might have been in the store for a few days and then those eggs sat in the fridge for a few more days. Today, the modern woman might decide at lunchtime to make something for dinner and pick up the ingredients on the way home from work. Voila! Really fresh eggs! That's OK. You can use them with the vegetables that flew in yesterday from half way around the world.
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The trick is to put the freshly boiled eggs into a pan of cold water until cool. The eggs will 'sweat' a little bit and make the shell come off more easily.
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It's SO easy to peel a boiled egg.
Just crack it lightly on a counter and then roll it so the shell cracks all around. If you did it correctly, the shell will peel off in 1 or 2 chunks.
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I don't get this insistence on eating super-fresh eggs...

I purchase eggs about once a month/two months in bulk (like, 2 1/2 dozen or 5 dozen at a time, it's cheaper than by a single dozen). Never once have I encountered a "bad" egg and they're all super easy to peel when hard-boiled.
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I don't really have this problem as my eggs usually sit in my fridge for a few weeks. However this is the third mention of it lately (my roommate first, then another blog, now here) so I'd like to suggest something that I've heard:

Pierce your eggs before boiling. A pushpin is good for this. Poke it in the wide end. This lets air in, which makes the cooked egg easier to peel.
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This article is silly and wrong. The way to peel a hard boiled egg is to roll it from End to End rather than around the "equator". This time honored procedure pushes the air bubble all around the great circle meridian of the egg loosening the membrane as it goes, giving a great peel every time.

And to suggest that your eggs should not be fresh is to assure that the egg you peel is not worth the effort.
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Here's what I do. Take the eggs out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Add a little white vinegar to the water you boil them in. When done, let them cool completely (put back in fridge if you're in a hurry). The shells will come off easily.
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The best way to make easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs with pure yellow centers is to place the eggs in a pot of cold water and add a teaspoon of salt. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from heat and let sit for 13 minutes. Drain the eggs and immediately place in an ice bath until completely cooled. Drain and enjoy your perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2167423
Muscle Might
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I've noticed the variation in the ease of peeling an egg - I have two-a-day for muscle growth. And some days it's so easy, some days it takes bloody ages! Thanks for clearing that up! I'll store them for longer!
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The idea that an older egg is easier to peel can't be true (not all the time anyway). I had two boiled eggs today: one had no "air pocket" which indicates a fresh egg. It peeled VERY easily. The other had a large air pocket. It was a #$%!X to peel and I nearly threw it across the room. I need another answer!
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