Apparatus for simulating a pulse and heart beat and methods for using same to train medical professionals

• US 7,510,398 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Thornton, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/699,805
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 434265-269, 434/350
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/288 for artificial respiration or heart massage

Abstract

A simulation apparatus and teaching system utilizing the apparatus are disclosed which includes a computer with input and output devices and a simulation apparatus including a housing, where the housing includes a tactile output subsystem for simulating pressure pulses corresponding to a pulse, an audio output subsystem for simulating heart sounds or other bodily sounds and a visual output subsystem for simulating visual attributes associated with a given condition. The output subsystem are under computer control and via interaction with a user, the computer will instruct the output subsystem to generate the symptoms associated with a given condition in a temporally correlated or simultaneous manner so that a user will be able to experience the visual, audio and tactile attributes associated with a given condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus for simulating a pulse and correlated heart beat of an animal including a human, the apparatus comprising a playback device for generating a first electronic signal corresponding to a pulse and a second electronic signal corresponding to a correlated heart beat;

an electronic tactile pulse simulator for receiving the first electronic signal and generating pressure pulses simulating an arterial pulse discernible by touch; and

an audio simulator for receiving the correlated heart beat signal and recreating the heart beat to be heard through a standard stethoscope, and wherein the first and second electronic signals are generated from recordings of living animals including humans and wherein the simultaneous generation of correlated heart sounds and touch discernible arterial pulses is sufficient to allow training of medical practitioners to discriminate between normal cardiovascular function and abnormal cardiovascular function.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile pulse simulator comprises a tactile switch capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulse, collapsible tube apparatus or piezoelectric transducer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile pulse simulator and the audio simulator are housed within a housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tactile pulse simulator comprises a resilient cover covering a tactile switch capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulse.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile pulse simulator is within in a first housing and the audio simulator is within a second housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first housing simulates a human wrist and the tactile pulse simulator comprises a resilient cover covering a tactile switch capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulse and is located at a position in the wrist corresponding to a position in a patient where the arterial pulse is adapted to be detected and monitored by a medical professional.

7. An apparatus for simulating a right side pulse and a left side pulse and correlated heart beat of an animal including a human, the apparatus comprising a playback device for generating a first electronic signal corresponding to the right side pulse;

a second electronic signal corresponding to the left side pulse and a third electronic signal corresponding to a correlated heart beat;

a first tactile pulse simulator for receiving the first electronic signal and generating pressure pulses simulating a right side arterial pulse discernible by touch;

a second tactile pulse simulator for receiving the second electronic signal and generating pressure pulses simulating a left side arterial pulse discernible by touch; and

an audio simulator for receiving the correlated heart beat signal and recreating the heart beat to be heard through a stethoscope, and wherein the first and second electronic signals are generated from recordings of living animals including humans and wherein the simultaneous generation of correlated heart sounds and touch discernible arterial pulses is sufficient to allow training of medical practitioners to discriminate between normal cardiovascular function and abnormal cardiovascular function.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the tactile pulse simulators comprise tactile switches capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulse, collapsible tube apparatuses or piezoelectric transducers.

9. An apparatus for simulating a right side pulse and a left side pulse and correlated heart beat of a human, the apparatus comprising:

a playback device for generating a first electronic signal corresponding to the right side pulse, a second electronic signal corresponding to the left side pulse and a third electronic signal corresponding to a correlated heart beat;

a first housing including a first tactile pulse simulator for receiving the right side arterial pulse signal and generating pressure pulses corresponding to a right arm arterial pulse discernible by touch;

a second housing including a second tactile pulse simulator for receiving the left side arterial pulse signal and generating pressure pulses corresponding to a left arm arterial pulse discernible by touch; and

a third housing including an audio simulator for receiving the heart beat signal and generating an audible recreation of the correlated heart beat and designed to be heard through a stethoscope position on a surface of the housing,

wherein the first and second electronic signals are generated from recordings of living animals including humans and wherein the simultaneous generation of correlated heart sounds and touch discernible arterial pulses is sufficient to allow training of medical practitioners to discriminate between normal cardiovascular function and abnormal cardiovascular function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the tactile pulse simulators comprise tactile switches capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulses, collapsible tube apparatuses or piezoelectric transducers.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the tactile pulse simulators comprise a resilient cover covering a tactile switch capable of generating pulses simulating the arterial pulse.