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TissueDB/Simulators/Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator

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Completed Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator showing white fabric bowel module inside a cardboard box trainer
Completed Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator. Image by the ALL-SAFE consortium, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator is a low-cost laparoscopic trainer built from locally available materials for practising Meckel's diverticulectomy and small-bowel handling.[1] Learners construct a simulated Meckel's diverticulum from a flat bed sheet, rubber bands, tape, and cardboard, then identify and resect it inside a laparoscopic box trainer. It was developed by the ALL-SAFE consortium for the Global Surgical Training Challenge.

Field Details
Features and Basic Operation Presents a tubular small-bowel segment with a Meckel's diverticulum and fourteen numbered sections, mounted in a cardboard holder for use inside a laparoscopic box trainer. The learner identifies the diverticulum, handles the small bowel, and practises resecting the diverticulum.
Current Development Status Expert-reviewed
Estimated Build Time and Cost US$15 (estimated)
Specialized Tools and Equipment Ruler; scissors; box cutter or scalpel; marker or Sharpie (to number the bowel sections). A laparoscopic box trainer is required to mount and use the model but is not built as part of this simulator.
Version Version 1
Development Team Contact Information ALL-SAFE Consortium — Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons; University of Michigan; Southern Illinois University; Soddo Christian Hospital; AIC Kijabe Hospital; Mbingo Baptist Hospital. Part of the Global Surgical Training Challenge.

Tissues

Tissue Qty Material Cost Notes
Bowel (ileal segment) 1 Flat Bed Sheet — Rolled portion of the sheet forms the tubular bowel
Meckel's Diverticulum 1 Flat Bed Sheet — Tube wall pulled outward from the bowel and secured with a rubber band
Mesentery 1 Flat Bed Sheet — Unrolled portion of the same sheet; bunched end forms the mesentery root


Structural Parts

Part Name Qty Material Cost Notes
Rubber bands 10 Rubber bands — Secure the roll, the diverticulum, and the mesentery root
Bowel-section number labels As needed Tape — Small tape squares numbered 1–14 along the bowel
Bowel holder (Part F) 1 Cardboard — Holds the bowel to the floor of the trainer box; shaped per the Part F template


Build Instructions

Phase 1: Bowel and Mesentery Assembly


Rolling the flat bed sheet along the 2.5-foot side


Sheet rolled with 14 inches of unrolled mesentery remaining
  1. Cut a flat bed sheet (non-fitted) to 2.5 feet × 2 feet (76.2 cm × 60.96 cm). Thin white fabric is suitable; alternatively, a light-coloured non-printed material is sufficient.
  2. Roll the sheet along the 2.5-foot side until 14 inches (35.56 cm) of unrolled sheet remains. The rolled portion forms the bowel; the unrolled portion forms the mesentery.


Eight small holes cut 4 inches apart under the rolled section
  1. Cut 8 small holes 4 inches (10 cm) apart under the rolled section of sheet. Measure and mark the hole positions before cutting.


Rubber bands pushed through holes to secure the roll
  1. Push rubber bands through the holes and tie around to secure the roll. Cut off the remaining loops so they do not interfere with the simulation.


Diverticulum formed by pulling tube wall outward, secured with rubber band
  1. Generally, a Meckel's diverticulum ranges from 1 to 12 cm in length and is found proximal to the ileocecal valve. To simulate this, choose an end of the bowel and pull 3–6 cm of the rolled sheet outward, then secure a rubber band around it.


Numbered bowel sections viewed from top


Numbered bowel sections viewed from bottom
  1. Cut pieces of tape (about 1.6 cm × 1.6 cm) and label them with the numbers 1–14. Place the numbers along the rolled section of the sheet, starting at the side of the bowel opposite to the Meckel's diverticulum, with 1 to the right of the first rubber band. Flip the sheet over and place 2 in the middle of the first two rubber bands, then continue alternating top and bottom until you reach the diverticulum end of the bowel.


Bunching the mesentery end


Mesentery root secured with rubber band
  1. Bunch the end of the mesentery and wrap a few rubber bands around it to form the mesentery root.


Completed bowel and mesentery assembly


Phase 2: Holder Assembly


Part F cutting template (338 mm × 265 mm) — red lines indicate fold lines, black lines indicate cut lines
  1. Cut a piece of cardboard following the Part F cutting template (338 mm × 265 mm; see page 6 of build instructions PDF for full dimensions). Pay attention to fold lines versus cut lines and the corrugation direction.


Cardboard holder with centre part bent upward and side pieces folded
  1. Bend the centre part upward and the side pieces up 4 cm from the edge. The centre flap and hole represent the root of the mesentery and hold the bowel to the floor of the trainer box.


Phase 3: Final Assembly


Bowel end placed through holder hole with odd numbers facing up
  1. Place the bunched bowel end through the hole in the holder with the odd-number side facing upward.


Bowel secured to holder with rubber band
  1. Secure the bowel to the holder with a rubber band.


Bowel flipped to hide the mesentery root
  1. Flip the bowel over to hide the root of the mesentery.


Box trainer upside down with Part F flaps inserted into stability slits
  1. Locate the laparoscopic box trainer and turn it upside down. Insert the flaps from Part F into the slits used for the stability flaps.


  1. Adjust the stability flaps to share the same slits as Part F. Adjustments may be needed to fit both the stability flaps and Part F into the same slits.


Completed Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator



References

[1]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 ALL-SAFE/Meckel's Diverticulum/Simulation on Appropedia. Build instructions: Meckel's build instructions PDF (225 KB, 9 pages).




Simulator data
Alternative names ALL-SAFE Meckel's Diverticulum Simulation; Meckel's Diverticulum Simulator



Page data
Keywords Meckel's diverticulum, Meckel's diverticulectomy, laparoscopic surgery, surgical simulation, low-cost simulator, ALL-SAFE, TissueDB, box trainer, bowel simulation
SDG
Authors Arturopelayo
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 5 pages link here
Redirects TissueDB/Simulators/Meckel's Diverticulum Simulator
Views 0 page views (analytics)
Created May 2, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Last edit June 28, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Cite as Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Meckel's Diverticulectomy Simulator". Appropedia. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
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