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Lap Wii Trainer nominated for the Blauwe Tulp (Blue Tulip) and the Accenture Innovation Awards

The Nintendo Wii U Laparoscopy Trainer is nominated for the Blauwe Tulp and the Accenture Innovation Awards in the Health category. There are five concepts nominated from no less than 2500 entries. The winner will be made known on 8 November during the Innovation Experience in Amsterdam.

Cutting Edge, a collaboration between UMCG, Grendel Games and LIMIS, has built a training game for laparoscopic skills on a standard Nintendo Wii U as replacement for an expensive simulator. An inexpensive, innovative and sustainable solution is being developed for training in the skills necessary for exploratory surgery. Research has shown that simulators are boring, ineffective and expensive. Due to their highly technical nature simulators are susceptible to defects and generate high maintenance costs. So hospitals have started working with game developers to develop an inexpensive, challenging, accessible and validated solution.