Self-priming hemodynamic reservoir and inline flow meter for a cardiopulmonary bypass simulation

Simulator exercises are used at Midwestern University to augment academic and laboratory training toward consolidating particular skills, increasing situation awareness, and preparing the student for practice within the team environment of an operating room. This paper describes an enhanced cardiopulmonary bypass simulator consisting of a self-priming hemodynamic reservoir that includes an inline flow meter. A typical cardiopulmonary bypass adult perfusion circuit was assembled using a roller pump console and integrated oxygenator/heat exchanger/reservoir and primed with 2 liters of water. For patient simulation, a soft-sided reservoir bag was mounted onto an inclined platform. A 1-liter soft-sided bag was placed just above the reservoir, providing an overflow reservoir. The priming line extended to the head of the mannequin. The arterial, venous, and suction lines extended through the open chest. The primed perfusion circuit was connected to ports on the filled reservoir bag. To test the patient simulation, the arterial pump output was adjusted to flow rates ranging from 1-7 liters per minute, with a complete interruption (to zero flow) between each test run. An inline flow meter was added to the bypass circuit and an analog to digital converter board was used to pass flow data into the computer-based simulation program. The use of an inclined hemodynamic reservoir bag proved to be self-priming and functional without problems over a wide range of flows tested. By including a reservoir with the mannequin, plus processing and displaying real-time flow data using the CPB-Sim simulation program, a higher fidelity and more realistic simulation experience was created.