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Abstract
Immersive perfusion simulation is becoming more prevalent in perfusion education and training. This is best thought to be achieved through high fidelity simulations that mimic as much of the operating room environment as possible. Thus, this type of simulation would include all equipment, both application and monitoring. MSOE currently has an in-house developed hemodynamic perfusion simulator. It allows students to practice tasks such as initiating bypass, maintaining arterial pressure, and weaning from bypass. Currently this simulator is not paired with blood gas monitoring equipment. The goal of this project was to add blood gas monitoring capabilities to the simulator.
The blood gas monitor simulator was developed by modeling the physiologic systems that interact with blood gas monitors and creating an interactive program that would display the values achieved with normal blood gas analysis. The physiologic models were represented by a set of equations that were entered into MATLAB® as a function within a programmed graphical user interface [GUI]. When the code initiated the function, all relevant values were collected from the interactive control and used in the calculations to determine dependent blood gas values. All values were then displayed.
Testing of the system through trial runs specific to the programmed models found that the virtual simulation would accurately represent the normal physiologic responses to changes in blood gas values, as well as the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on those mechanisms. The addition of the simulated continuous blood gas monitor has created a more immersive simulation that allows students to practice assessing blood gas values and improve situational awareness that is necessary when these values change.