Researchers from Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, applied their integrative knowledge to invent the world’s first two female CPR puppets, named "Fatila” and “Areeya". The puppets, a rubber product innovation, will be used for practicing emergency life-saving techniques, and for demonstrating breast cancer detection.
Dr. Rohani Jehasae, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing at Pattani Campus, explained that the rubber texture is tough and flexible, similar to that of human skin and muscles, and therefore it is an important raw material used for developing the CPR puppets for health science practice. Currently, the Health Sciences Institute uses imported, costly CPR puppets from abroad for health science teaching. Therefore, the development of human life-saving puppets by using rubber is a cost-saving alternative way to produce medical and health science training equipment.
Moreover, knowing that breast cancer is the number one cause of death among Thai women and that losses can be reduced if it is detected at an initial stage, self-examination is very important, but it requires a certain level of knowledge.
The creation of the puppets was a collaborative effort. PSU Pattani Campus researchers from the Faculty of Nursing studied and designed the female body; artists from the Faculty of Arts designed the prototype model; and experts from the Faculty of Science and Technology selected the materials most suitable for realistic breast cancer screening. All these innovations were brought together by Asst. Prof. Dr. Boontham Nithi-uthai, the principal consultant of the project.
Dr. Boontham explained that in the beginning he invented the female puppet called "Fatila" for the Faculty of Nursing at Pattani Campus, to allow students to use it as training device for life-saving practice, while remaining respectful to a variety of religious traditions. The puppet named "Areeya" was given to Pattani Hospital.
In addition to designing the CPR puppets from rubber, the team also produced artificial breast materials with high-quality gel ingredients to achieve the most natural resemblance.
At present, PSU Pattani Campus is working on creating a prototype of CPR puppets from rubber to save children’s lives, for the benefit of the medical and nursing community of the three southern border provinces of Thailand, and eventually for other regions of the country as well.