SIMULATION
The Orpheus simulator includes a software system that allows the simulator to be used in a number of modes. The software can run in a manual mode or a pre-scripted automated mode using inbuilt physiological/ pharmacological models. The model driven simulator can be run without consideration for the thermal effects due to heating/cooling of the patient, or with a physical or simulated thermal mass that mimics a patient’s. Temperature changes are reflected in the patient models to more realistically determine the physiological and/or pharmacological behaviour of the patient.
The software allows a range of equipment faults to be introduced to the scenario, from power or gas failures to kinking of the arterial line or air entrainment in the venous line. These equipment faults allow the perfusionist to be exposed to incidents which are not often encountered during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.
The perfusionist is provided with a touch-screen display that allows them to initiate an ACT measurement or request a blood gas analysis of the patient. There is also the ability to deliver a range of drugs usually administered to a patient during surgery. These drugs effect the pharmacological model of the software and cause changes to occur in the patients physiology such as, heart rhythm, systemic vascular resistance and oxygen saturation.
The simulation system can then convincingly recreate a wide variety of critical events which may occasionally complicate the process of cardiopulmonary bypass, including:
Routine Bypass
Initiation of bypass
Weaning from bypass
Cooling and rewarming
Use of centrifugal pumps
Variations in patient resistance
Variations in patient coagulability
Use of vasodilators
Use of vasoconstrictors
Oxygen consumption changes
Equipment Malfunctions
Aortic cannula obstruction
Aortic cannula displacement
Venous line kinking/
Venous air entrainment
Venous cannula obstruction
Oxygen supply failure
Patient Emergencies
Blood loss
Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Failure of anticoagulation
Air embolism
Anaphylaxis
Protamine reaction
Transfusion reaction
Blood gas abnormalities
Drug errors
Pump power supply failure
Heat exchanger failure
Monitor failure
Oxygenator failure
Circuit leaks