3 T Training Tool: Tissue Board™

Tissue Board™ consists of four clips that holds a piece of tissue flat on a sealed hardwood or plexiglas board, and helps understanding how to handle tissues delicately, to minimize tissue trauma. Great tool to practice the proper grip of needle drivers and tissue forceps. Will help stabilizing the hands to avoid rough movements that might tear the tissue. Furthermore, it will also practice non-dominant hand coordination and increase understanding of the pros and cons of using forceps with various tip types.

Tissue Board™ is part of the 3 Ts Training Tools (3 Ts), a training method designed to provide hands-on training and practice for individuals working with animals in research, testing and educational settings. They incorporates simple, inexpensive, and effective tools to teach and encourage practice of non-surgical and surgical procedures, prior to conducting similar training and practice on live animals. The tools used for the 3 Ts surgical curriculum for Aseptic Rodent Surgery Training and Practice is called the “3 Ts Dexterity Tools™”. These exercises are designed to address many of the common repetitive hand motions and skills required to perform surgery. Trainees will learn to translate the skills they have developed on the 3 Ts inanimate training tools into practice on live animals.

More information about Translational Training Tools™ here.

Description of the Tissue Board™ exercise:

1. Hold the clips open with needle drivers in the dominant hand.
2. Experiment with different forceps to gently remove the tissue from the clips.
3. Replace tissue into the clips with forceps, attempting to lay the tissue as flat as possible.
4. Try not to tear the tissue.
5. The board must remain in the same orientation for the duration of the exercise i.e. the
trainee must appropriately adjust the hand position rather than adjusting the position of
the board, to access the clips with the needle driver and remove the tissue.

Ingredients:

• One Plexiglas® or sealed-hardwood base board. We used a base board cut to the following dimensions: 5.5”x5.5”x0.25”
• 4 small alligator clips, approximately 1.5 inches long
• Small screws that can fit in the holes of the alligator clips
• Thin tissue, tissue paper or Kimwipes™
• When using the tool, equip the trainee with at least one needle holder and one pair of thumb forceps

Supplies: screw driver, drill with fine tip, strong glue and small squirt bottle filled with water

Instructions:

1. Glue one alligator clip onto the top of each of the 4 sides of the base board.
   Make sure one clip is placed in the center border of each side.
2. From the back of the base board, pre-drill 4 holes into the base board, and into
   the base of the alligator clip. Note that the holes should just slightly smaller than
   the wood screws.
3. From the bottom of the base board, place a small wood screw into the predrilled hole.
4. When ready to use, place a tissue into the jaws of each of the alligator clips,
   removing all slack from the tissue.
5. Use the squirt bottle to dampen the tissue before use. 

For more information and images to help guide the process, please see The Joy of Training Cookbook, Volume 2: (Recipies for crafting your own purpose-specific training tools for surgery practice). 

Dexterity Tools™ and Exercises from Volume 2:

1. Macro Dexterity Tools™:

1. 1. Bead Board™
   2. Neuter Board™
   3. Tissue Board™
   4. Nail Board™
   5. Cutting Ring™

2 . Micro Dexterity Tools™: 

1. 1. Peg Boards™
   2. Bead Threading™
   3. Earrings and Backs™
   4. Color Band Boards™
   5. Bead Cup Exploratory™

Please also see The Joy of Training Cookbook, Volume 1: (Recipies for crafting your own purpose-specific training tools for non-surgical procedures).

3 Ts Training Tools from Volume 1:

• FP Balloon™
  • IM Foosbun™ 
• Venipuncture Tools:
  • Tube Tail™ (venipuncture of the lateral tail vein)
  • Spongy Bunear™ (venipuncture of the rabbit marginal ear vein)
  • Ear Piggy Piggy™ (venipuncture of the marginal ear vein of pigs)
  • Cephalic Tube™ (venipuncture of the canine or feline cephalic vein)
• Cardiac Balloon™ (cardiac-puncture blood collection in rodents)
• CD Mouse™ (validation of competency of cervical dislocation euthanasia in rodents)
• Pink E. D. Cap™ (validation of competency of decapitation euthanasia of neonatal mice)

For more information, please contact Dr. Wendy Williams.