Simulation & Education

Our Technology

Take an in-depth look at some of the simulation technology we've developed at HCESC.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Simulator

Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a procedure performed to resuscitate failing patients during lung or heart surgery. Funded by Jump ARCHES, we have developed a new and innovative training simulator to educate health care teams in performing this procedure. The task trainer is controlled by a software model of human physiology engine which can simulate various conditions during the ECMO procedure such as extreme hemodynamic instability and hypoxemia. It consists of a programmable pump, manikin torso, cannulation pads, and a system of tubes that hook up to the pump.

AirwayVR is a self-guided virtual reality scenario that takes the learner through an endotracheal intubation procedure. This procedure is where a tube is passed through the mouth into the trachea, and requires complex motor skills and has limited training opportunities beyond actual patient care. This procedure allows the patient to breathe.

AirwayVR trains the procedure through a focus on steps, realistic visualization, and anatomical anatomical landmarks. It was developed in Unity and also uses a headset and the Oculus Quest. The user is involved from the beginning to end of the process, from preparing the patient to the actual intubation procedure. This includes the use of two controllers which act as the user's hands in the virtual environment, allowing the user to pick up items such as the intubation tube, and to insert the tube into the throat of the animated patient in the simulation. This level of interaction allows the user to be able to experience all aspects of intubation as if they were in the real world.

The research team's primary focus has been the efficacy of the application in increasing the user's knowledge and skills. This has been tested with nine participants aged 20-21. Participants self-reported low understanding of the procedure before completing the application, (1 being least familiar, and 5 being very familiar), but after self-reported an increase of 1.98 points. This suggests that by using this VR simulation, participants showed an increase in the understanding of the topic.

CadaVR is an interactive, VR-based anatomy learning software that allows students to visualize complex anatomical structures and conditions in 3D based on actual medical images such as CT scans and MRIs.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Training Simulator
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Training Simulator