TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa biotechnology company has unveiled their latest creation, a new skinless breed of dog, which will result in thousands of animals being saved as it is distributed.
SynDaver Labs, the world’s leading manufacturer of synthetic humans, unveiled the SynDaver Synthetic Canine and launched a $24 million crowdfunding campaign. The campaign will begin to end a process known as terminal surgery labs. The product will immediately end the need for terminal surgery labs in veterinary medical schools and represents the beginning of the end of animal testing in general.
The SynDaver Synthetic Canine is not only a skinless dog, but rather an extremely detailed and realistic surgical trainer. It will provide veterinary students with an anatomically accurate and realistic platform to practice surgical procedures. Similar to the SynDaver Synthetic Human, the canine utilizes SynDaver’s patented SynTissue, which mimics living tissue, includes a full list of functioning bodily systems, and has the capability to simulate customized diseases, illnesses and medical complications. The synthetic dog even has a heart with a heartbeat, a circulatory system, and bleeds when surgical cuts are made.
In addition to launching the SynDaver Synthetic Canine, the company also announced the launch of one of the most ambitious crowdfunding campaigns in history. SynDaver hopes to raise $24 million through their campaign page on Indiegogo.com. If the company is successful with the campaign, SynDaver will provide up to 20 synthetic canines to each accredited veterinary college around the world, completely free of charge.
By providing each veterinary college with a full complement of their new synthetic canines at no cost, SynDaver will effectively eliminate the practice of terminal surgery labs. In veterinary medicine, terminal surgery labs involve teaching students how to perform certain surgeries on live, anesthetized shelter animals, and then euthanizing the animal immediately following the procedure. The SynDaver Synthetic Canine will also eliminate the need for canine cadavers, which are also typically euthanized animals from shelters.
While these kinds of labs are not as widely used as they once were, many veterinary colleges across the U.S. and around the globe still rely on terminal procedures to educate students.
“If we launched this product organically, it might take us a decade to put canine cadavers into every veterinary college and many more animals would die needlessly as a result,” said Dr. Christopher Sakezles, chief technology officer and founder of SynDaver Labs. “With the help of the crowdfunding campaign, we can do this practically overnight, and start to put an end to terminal labs for good.”
According to experts, this technology will save thousands of lives and revolutionize veterinary medicine education.
The SynDaver Synthetic Canine is similar to their human products. The canine models are anatomically accurate, with fat, fascia planes, all bones, muscles, ligaments, fully articulating joints, and each of the bodily systems. The product has been acclaimed by experts in the veterinary industry and has even garnered the support of Dr. Michael Blackwell, a member of the board of directors of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association.
“A significant number of students do not care to be involved in terminal surgery procedures or the use of live animals when there is an alternative,” said Blackwell. “I am so happy to have this change because that is where we need to be today.”
SynDaver has been working closely with the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine throughout the development of the SynDaver Synthetic Canine to create the most lifelike and realistic synthetic canine possible.
If SynDaver exceeds their $24 million crowdfunding goal, the company plans to begin working on the SynDaver Synthetic Feline next. There are also plans to develop synthetic horses and cows.
To learn more about ending terminal surgery labs, visit endterminallabs.com.
