The Plunge Detector

The "Plunge Detector" is an optional layer in the ETALO simulators - this layer will signal to you the learner when/if you have drill too far passed the far cortex of your bone simulator.

Critical to safe bone drilling is the skill to avoid "plunging". Plunging is when the drill goes too far into the soft tissues on the far side of the bone - if someone does this in a live human, the drill/pin can damage vital structures like arteries, nerves, tendons, and muscle. Thus, to avoid causing injury, it is important to learn how to control the drill properly and avoid plunging. Plunging is something carefully described in our videos and is a critical component of our simulator. The plunge detector consists of aluminum foil connected to a circuit consistently of either a buzzer or a light - the sound or light alerts the learner they plunged too far into the soft tissues.