Translational Simulation Advancing Medical Device Technologies

On 27 November 2025, RCSI SIM Centre for Simulation Education and Research (RCSI SIM) held its first “RCSI SIMposium: Simulation & Innovation Gathering” at 26 York Street, Dublin, Ireland. The event opened with a welcome from Professor Claire Condron, and the SIMposium offered a day-long forum to explore how simulation can drive innovation in medical devices.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr Andrea Doyle, Senior Research Fellow at the RCSI SIM Centre, and JoHS Editorial Board member who set the tone for a day focused on the intersection of anthropomorphic physical simulation and device innovation.

An expert panel brought together leaders from clinical engineering, hospital physics, biomedical engineering and industry to discuss opportunities for collaboration - chaired by Caoimhín O'Conghaile and included Adam Roche (RCSI SIM), Chris Soraghan (St. James’s Hospital, Dublin), Liam O’Brien (Commercial Lead, Doc Leaf) and Professor Triona Lally (Trinity College Dublin).

Attendees explored a range of simulation models during a walk-around session featuring both in-house innovations and exhibitor contributions, toured the RCSI SIM Centre’s facilities, and concluded the afternoon with hands-on demonstrations and discussion.

By explicitly linking simulation and medical device innovation, the SIMposium highlighted how simulation spaces can function not only as training environments but also as practical settings for prototyping, testing and refining emerging technologies. The event demonstrated how bringing clinicians, engineers, designers and commercial partners together can accelerate shared understanding, encourage early identification of usability and design challenges, and support more efficient innovation pathways grounded in real-world practice.

For educators, researchers and industry partners, the day offered a timely reminder of the broader potential of translational simulation, illustrating how simulation infrastructure can extend beyond skills training to inform device development, strengthen user-centred design, and contribute to safer, more effective healthcare technologies.