**13. Conclusions**

The application of biomedical engineering approaches can help simplify many clinical problems as demonstrated for the epidural procedure.

We have described in this chapter, the developed measuring devices which have successfully recorded the data on resultant pressure and depth of epidural Tuohy needles during insertions in a porcine model. These data are very useful in developing a realistic high fidelity epidural simulator. We aim to measure pressures in-vivo with obstetric patients in labour of differing body mass indices and integrating this data with ultrasound and MRI scan imaging data. It is our belief that the resulting epidural simulator based on such data will replicate the in-vivo procedure more accurately since it is going to be based on patient specific information. No such simulator exists at the present time.

The overall benefits of applying biomedical engineering techniques to this research are that we are able to achieve a high degree of accuracy and improved technology for replicating the epidural procedure. By achieving higher realism and accuracy of simulation, epiduralists will be better trained with the procedure and this in turn will improve patient safety by minimizing the risk of failure and harm to patients.
