Mobile medical training platform and method of use

• US 8,888,495 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
• Original Assignee: The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
• Inventors: Johnson, Clara, Spier, Travis, Krcil, Shaye, Myers, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US13/473,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20120315612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 434/219, 434262-275, 607 4- 5
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/30 Anatomical models G09B23/281 - G09B23/288 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A mobile medical simulation platform for training medical emergency personnel comprises a mobile base movable between remote geographical locations. The mobile base may include a main enclosure having a forward end and a rearward end and defining an interior space. The base may also include medical equipment in the interior space of the main enclosure and usable in medical simulation training for treating a human patient, and simulation apparatus configured to provide simulation of medical events and conditions of a human patient. The interior space is separated into an ambulance simulation area and an emergency room simulation area contained in the main enclosure to permit simultaneous simulation training exercises to occur in each of the simulation areas. A method of utilizing the platform may include conducting training at a first location, moving the platform to a second location, and conducting training at the second location.

Claims

1. A mobile medical simulation platform for training medical emergency personnel, the platform comprising:

a mobile base movable between remote geographical locations, the mobile base including a main enclosure having a forward end and a rearward end and defining an interior space;

medical equipment in the interior space of the main enclosure and usable in medical simulation training for treating a human patient; and

simulation apparatus configured to provide simulation of medical events and conditions of a human patient;

wherein the interior space of the main enclosure of the mobile base includes at least two medial simulation areas separated from each other within the interior and movable together as a unit from location to location, the medical simulation areas including a combination of;

a simulation of an interior of a medical practice space of a mobile type contained in a vehicle; and

a simulation of an interior of a medical practice space of an immobile type contained in a building;

wherein the medical simulation area having a said medical practice space of a mobile type comprises an ambulance simulation area; and

wherein the medical simulation area having a said medical practice space of an immobile type comprises an emergency room simulation area;

wherein the medical simulation area are contained in the main enclosure to permit simultaneous emergency simulation training exercises of ambulance personnel and emergency room personnel to occur in the simulation areas of the main enclosure.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the ambulance and emergency room simulation areas of the interior space are in selective communication with each other to permit movement of the simulation apparatus from the ambulance simulation area to the emergency room simulation area.

3. The platform of claim 1 wherein the ambulance simulation area is positioned toward the rearward end of the main enclosure and an ambulance training entrance is located in the rearward end of the main enclosure such that movement through the ambulance training entrance results in entrance into the ambulance simulation area.

4. The platform of claim 3 the emergency room simulation area is positioned toward the forward end of the main enclosure.

5. The platform of claim 1 wherein the interior space includes a control area separating the emergency room simulation area from the ambulance simulation area.

6. The platform of claim 1 wherein the interior space includes a control area positioned between the emergency room simulation area and the ambulance simulation area to provide an observation point from which a person in the control area can simultaneously observe training exercise activities occurring in both of the simulation areas.

7. The platform of claim 1 wherein the main enclosure includes a first separation panel movably positioned between the ambulance simulation area and the control area and a second separation panel being movably positioned between the emergency room simulation area and the control area, each of the separation panels being movable between an open position permitting movement between the areas and a closed position restricting movement between the areas.

8. The platform of claim 7 wherein portions of the separation panels include material permitting one way viewing therethrough from the control area into the ambulance simulation area and from the control area into the emergency room simulation area.

9. The platform of claim 1 wherein the emergency room simulation area is expandable from a transport configuration in which the interior space of the emergency room simulation area is relatively smaller to a simulation configuration in which the interior space of the emergency room simulation area is relatively larger.

10. The platform of claim 1 additionally comprising simulation monitoring apparatus configured to detect and record simulation events occurring in one of the simulation areas of the interior space.

11. The platform of claim 10 wherein the simulation monitoring apparatus comprises a plurality of sensors for sensing trainee activity during simulation events.

12. The platform of claim 11 wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of cameras, the cameras including video cameras, some of the plurality of the cameras being mounted on the ceiling wall of the main enclosure.

13. The platform of claim 11 wherein the simulation monitoring apparatus comprises a plurality of display devices for displaying information from the sensors.

14. The platform of claim 11 wherein the simulation monitoring apparatus comprises recording apparatus for recording information detected by the sensors.

15. The platform of claim 1 wherein the simulation apparatus includes at least one patient simulation mannequin positioned in the interior space of the main enclosure and being movable between the ambulance simulation area and the emergency room simulation area.

16. The platform of claim 1 wherein the mobile base comprises a vehicle capable of moving the mobile base under its own power.

17. The platform of claim 1 wherein the main enclosure is configured so that medical personnel are able to move from one of the medical simulation areas to an other one of the medical simulation areas without leaving the main enclosure.

18. A method of training medical personnel using a portable medical simulation platform, comprising:

providing a portable medical simulation platform comprising a mobile base movable between remote geographical locations, the mobile base including a main enclosure defining an interior space separated into an ambulance simulation area and an emergency room simulation area, the platform further including medical equipment in the interior space usable in medical simulation training and simulation apparatus configured to provide simulation of medical events and conditions of a human patient;

moving the platform to a first location to conduct medical training of a first group of medical personnel;

conducting training in the simulation areas of the platform in the first location with the first group of personnel;

moving the platform from the first location of training to a second location to conduct medical training with a second group of personnel; and

conducting training in the simulation areas of the platform in the second location with the second group of personnel;

wherein the steps of conducting training include transferring a patient simulator from the ambulance simulation area to the emergency room simulation area by the medical personnel without leaving the interior of the main enclosure.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein at least one of the steps of conducting training includes conducting training exercises in both of the simulation areas substantially simultaneously with ambulance personnel being located in the ambulance simulation area and emergency room simulation personnel being located in the emergency room simulation area, and further includes communicating information between the ambulance personnel in the ambulance simulation area and the emergency room personnel in the emergency room simulation area via an electronic communication device.