Interactive education system for teaching patient care

• US 8,696,362 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: gaumard scientific company, inc
• Original Assignee: gaumard scientific company, inc
• Inventors: Eggert, John S., Eggert, Michael S., Rodriguez, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLOS, ALVIN LEABRES
• Application Number:
  US11/952,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20080131855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,321 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 434265-267
• US Class Current: 434/266
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/281 for pregnancy, birth or obstetrics G09B23/286 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence

Abstract

A method of teaching patient care is provided. The method includes providing a medical simulator including a model of at least a portion of a human body. The simulator is configured to execute a simulated medical scenario. The method also includes defining a plurality of palette items, each of the plurality of palette items associated with a physiological state of the simulator, and defining at least one scenario, the at least one scenario including a series of linked palette items. The method also includes selecting a scenario for execution by the simulator, communicating the selected scenario to the simulator, and utilizing the simulator to execute the selected scenario.

Claims

1. A method of teaching patient care, the method comprising:

providing a patient simulator comprising a model of at least a portion of a human body and configured to execute simulated medical scenarios, wherein the medical simulator includes a maternal simulator and a fetal simulator positionable within a portion of the maternal simulator such that the maternal simulator and the fetal simulator are suitable for use in birthing simulations;

defining a plurality of palette items, each of the plurality of palette items associated with a physiological state of the simulator;

linking two or more of the plurality of palette items together in a sequence to define a first medical scenario;

communicating the first scenario to the simulator;

simulating the first scenario utilizing the patient simulator;

defining a plurality of fetal palette items, each of the plurality of fetal palette items associated with a physiological state of the fetal simulator;

linking two or more of the plurality of fetal palette items together in a sequence to define a second medical scenario, wherein the second scenario corresponds to the first scenario of the maternal simulator;

communicating the second scenario to the fetal simulator; and

simulating the second scenario utilizing the fetal simulator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of palette items and the first scenario in a computer readable medium.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of palette items are user defined.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking two or more of the plurality of palette items together in a sequence to define a third medical scenario.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and third medical scenarios is user defined.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological state of the simulator comprises breathing information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the breathing information includes a respiratory pattern, a respiratory rate, and lung sounds.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the breathing information further includes an O2 saturation and wherein the lung sounds comprise separate left and right lung sounds and separate upper and lower lung sounds.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological state of the simulator further comprises airway passage condition information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the airway passage condition information includes information regarding a tongue edema, a pharyngeal swelling, a laryngospasm, and upper airway sounds.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological state of the simulator comprises circulation information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the circulation information includes a cardiac rhythm, a heart rate, and a blood pressure.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the circulation information further includes a heart sound and distal pulse information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological state of the simulator further comprises vocal sounds.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising having a user perform simulated patient care on the medical simulator based on the first and second scenarios.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising evaluating the user'"'"'s performance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein evaluating the user'"'"'s performance is performed by an instructor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein evaluating the user'"'"'s performance is based at least partially on sensed data obtained from the simulator.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first scenario simulated using the maternal simulator is different from the second scenario simulated using the fetal simulator.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein a physiological state of the second scenario is based at least in part on an associated physiological state of the first scenario.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a simulated circulatory or respiratory problem of the maternal simulator reduces the simulated supply of oxygen to the fetal simulator.