An interactive computer simulator of the circulation for knowledge acquisition in cardio-anesthesia

Area of Science:

• Cardio-anesthesia
• Medical Simulation
• Decision Support Systems

Background:

• Knowledge-based decision support systems offer online assistance in cardio-anesthesia through intelligent alarms.
• Acquiring and validating knowledge bases for these systems presents challenges in translating clinical experience into rule systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an interactive human circulation simulator.
• To support knowledge acquisition and testing for cardio-anesthesia decision support systems.
• To facilitate interdisciplinary discussion of routine and critical clinical situations.

Main Methods:

• Development of an interactive human circulation simulator controllable in real-time by anesthesiologists.
• Integration of a heart function model to simulate heart insufficiency.
• Transfer of output data to knowledge-based systems for testing purposes.

Main Results:

• The simulator supports knowledge acquisition and testing for intelligent alarm generation in cardio-anesthesia.
• It enables real-time interaction for discussing clinical scenarios, including simulated heart insufficiency.
• The simulator is integral to developing the Anesthesia Expert Assist System (AES-2).

Conclusions:

• The interactive simulator effectively aids in developing robust knowledge-based decision support systems for cardio-anesthesia.
• It bridges the gap between clinical experience and rule-based systems.
• The tool enhances the development of intelligent systems like AES-2.