One of the highly realistic medical manikins from Lifecast Body Simulation.
Published: December 19, 2021 | Updated: 19th December 2021
It’s a story that could have walked straight off the pages of a film script.
Indeed, there’s even a Hollywood angle to it.
Two former Dorset ambulance paramedics who joined forces with one of the film world’s best lifecast and special effects artists to create incredibly realistic manikins.
In the process co-founding a company – Lifecast Body Simulation Ltd – now known, respected but above all used in hospitals and medical institutions across the globe.
David Halliwell, of Broadstone and pictured with one of the manikins, said: “It’s been bonkers to go from a couple of NHS paramedic tutors to business people.
“The learning has been huge with lots of ups and downs as we built a global brand.”
David, a former combat medic in the British Army, rose to the position of Head of Education at South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS).
In 2013, he co-founded MDT Global Solutions Ltd with Rob Clark, pictured right, formerly Clinical Training Manager and then acting Head of Education – Dave’s old job – with SWAS.
The company specialises in clinical simulation products, providing educators and trainers with tools to inject as much realism as possible into medical education.
David said: “Based on our previous experience we just felt it could be done better.
“That’s how it’s turned out with products such as foldaway classrooms and the first clinically deployable medical devices.”
One area which was a constant source of frustration was the manikins used for medical training.
David, 55, said: “They just hadn’t moved with the times.
“Hard and brittle – effectively we’d been using the same plastic dummies for 50 years.”
The breakthrough came after David and Rob, who lives in Verwood, approached John Schoonraad, pictured left.
The lifecast and special effects artist has created more than 2,000 lifecasts throughout his 30-year career.
His film credits read like a Who’s Who of Hollywood blockbusters, ranging from Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones to Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan and Troy.
John agreed to be involved and, in 2017, the trio founded Lifecast Body Simulation Ltd.
Based at Elstree Studios, home of the George Lucas Studio where the original Star Wars film was created, John set to work creating manikins that have become the world’s most realistic teaching tools.
David, who is married with two daughters, said: “We 3D scan people and then lifecast them by copying in plaster.
“The result is medical manikins that break the mould.
“They are so realistic that they invoke levels of emotional responses and student engagement never before seen.”
That realism extends to features such as freckles, facial hair, acne, tattoos and body piercings.
Meanwhile sophisticated moulding and casting techniques allow for the exact replication of the human body.
It includes fine details such as fingerprints, pores, veins and underlying structures as well as airways and articulated mouths for practising airway management.
Lifecast Body Simulation now offers 16 standard designs of manikins.
They range from elderly males and females (aged 80+) and adults to a child, toddler, infant and babies.
The child manikins have the correct average height and weight for their respective ages.
The combination of a normal weight and a natural ‘floppiness’ creates ‘amazing realism’ when handling each child, says Lifecast.
Prices for the manikins vary from £3,000 up to £25,000.
The 82-year-old manikin, affectionately known as ‘Vivien’, is highlighted by David as a great example of the company’s art.
The real Vivien – actor, dancer and trained psychologist Vivien Bridson – starred in Star Wars VIII The Last Jedi.
Her lifecasting took place in the traditional way at Elstree Studios with alginate and plaster.
Over the course of an hour the Lifecast team moulded her head and body.
There are now hundreds of ‘Viviens’ around the world, being used for education in areas such as manual handling, bereavement and falls awareness as well as the more advanced life support.
Earlier this year, and in collaboration with Echo Healthcare, Lifecast opened a new manufacturing facility in Sarasota, Florida, USA.
It supports the company’s global growth and also expanding network of dedicated distribution partners currently covering more than 50 countries worldwide.
The research team is UK-based.
Annual turnover for MDT Global Solutions is around £1.5m while Lifecast Body Simulation is about £1.3m.
The global business is in the region of £4.5m when the manufacturing using Lifecast’s systems, moulds and designs is included.
David, who designs new manikins in the garden office at his home, said: “We supported the Nightingale hospitals during Covid and loaned manikins to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital during that time period.
“We are demonstrating and lecturing worldwide and our products were used this year as teaching materials for Resuscitation Council UK.
“It’s been a crazy few years but I feel very privileged to be able to do what I do and proud of how far we’ve come.”
