Long Beach, California, 12th March 2025 – During the 2025 SAGES Meeting, Grendel Medical, today introduced Laptitude, a cutting-edge simulation training tool for laparoscopic surgery that leverages generative AI and intelligent video game design to create realistic, accessible, and affordable surgical training.
Laparoscopic surgery, performed in over 15 million procedures annually, remains the standard for many conditions due to its minimally invasive nature, leading to faster recovery, less pain, and lower infection risks compared to open surgery. However, training for laparoscopic skills is costly, requiring significant resources, space, and expert trainers. Computerised simulation systems range from $50,000 to $250,000, making them inaccessible for many training centers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
With funding from Wellcome Leap’s SAVE program, Grendel Medical developed Laptitude to disrupt traditional surgical training by offering:
- Low-cost, portable simulation: Laptitude’s software and iF Dsesign Award winning hardware work with a user’s laptop or smartphone and mimic real laparoscopic instruments.
- Advanced physics engine: Accurately models organ and tissue behavior, including cutting, dissection, and blood loss, surpassing capabilities of high-cost simulators while running on low-cost devices.
- Generative AI-driven organ models: AI creates realistic anatomical variations, allowing the generation of diverse models for surgical procedures like cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), improving trainees’ exposure to varied anatomy and disease severity.
- Game-based engagement: Intelligent video game design enhances engagement by making repetitive skills training enjoyable and competitive.
Tom Weiser, MD PhD, Program Director Wellcome SAVE and professor of emergency surgery at Stanford University, highlighted the urgency of scalable surgical training solutions:
“The SAVE program was created to address the shortfall of surgeons globally, resulting in more than 143 million missing surgical procedures per year. We believe that technological innovations in surgical training, competency assessment, and patient monitoring are vital to increasing access to safe surgery across the world. The innovations by Grendel Medical, especially the novel use of AI technology to increase the exposure of surgical trainees to novel scenarios, not only enable the acquisition of technical skills through simulation but also tackle the cognitive decision-making aspects of surgery. Video games have been shown to be beneficial for laparoscopic surgery training, and the competition they create is an appealing way to inspire and incentivize trainees to practice and hone skills.”
Laptitude is set to redefine surgical education, making high-quality training accessible to surgeons worldwide.
Notes for Editors:
Link to award page on iF website
https://ifdesign.com/en/winner-ranking/project/laptitude-system-controllers/707636
Links to Laptitude resources and Grendel Medical
https://grendelmedical.com/laptitude/
Grendel Games BV
Wellcome LEAP SAVE Program
https://wellcomeleap.org/save/
Tom Weiser biography:
https://stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/w/thomas-weiser.html
Society of American Gastroenterological Surgeons (SAGES) meeting 2025
Congress Link
