Automated skill assessment of sterile procedures

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Innovative Design Labs Inc. $313,110 on August 19, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to develop an automated assessment system for sterile procedure training on mannequin simulations.

The project will create hardware, sensing technology, and artificial intelligence models to objectively evaluate aseptic and sterile technique training that currently relies on manual, in-person instructor oversight. The system will enable trainees to replay and learn from errors, practice independently, and document competence for certification and credentialing. Phase I specific aims include defining and producing system hardware and sensing capabilities, collecting training datasets and developing AI models with accuracy evaluation, and developing a prototype user interface with stakeholder feedback.

Healthcare-associated infections rank among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, with tens of thousands of lives lost annually and billions in costs. An estimated 55 to 70 percent of these infections are preventable through proper training in sterile procedures. Current instructor-led assessment approaches are time-consuming, expensive, and subjective; the proposed automated system aims to provide cost-effective objectivity to this training process.

Performance takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a period of performance through July 31, 2027. The award is a Project Grant, the assistance type for competitive research projects supporting individual investigators.

Abstract

The proposed project focuses on creating an automated assessment system for mannequin simulations training sterile procedures. Significance: education and training of proper aseptic, sterile, and device techniques are among the most fundamental, essential approaches to prevent healthcare-associated infections (hais) in clinical and surgical settings. Hais are among the most common complications of hospital care and one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the US. These infections lead to significant morbidity and mortality, with tens of thousands of lives lost each year and cost billions of dollars. IT is estimated that up to 55- 70% of hais are preventable. Currently, training skills to prevent hais are "manually" assessed by having instructors oversee each and every student in person and verify the correctness of their actions. IT is well known to be a time-consuming, expensive, and often subjective process. Proposed is an innovative technology to automate training assessments of these procedures. IT aims to provide cost-effective objectivity to training techniques with the ability to replay and learn from erroneous actions, independently practice, and document competence mastery evidence for certification and credentialing. Specific aims: in phase i the following aims are proposed: 1) define, design, and produce the system hardware and sensing, 2) collect training datasets, develop AI models, and evaluate accuracy, and 3) develop prototype user-interface and obtain stakeholder feedback.