Computer Simulation of Vital Signs

This page attempts to give an overview of the state of the art in the computer simulation of vital signs with the ultimate goal of simulating vital signs of multiple injured persons. The simulation would be allow emergency responders to practice triage and practice medical intervention strategies.

Markup Languages for Specifying the Dynamics of Physiology Simulations

CellML

The University of Aukland, New Zealand has developed CellML, an XML-based markup language for specify the dynamics of systems in a standard mathematical language.

Mathematical Modeling Language (MML)

A markup language that was initially developed by JSIM. JSIM however now also supports CellML.

Physiological Simulation

Physiome Project

"A physiome can be defined as the quantitative description of the functional state of an organism."
                                    from The Physiome Project: The Macroethics of Engineering toward Health

Computer-based Platforms for Physiological Simulation

JSIM

JSIM is Java-based simulation platform that supports CellML. JSIM is a wrapper for Differential Equation and partial differential equation solvers. It can interface to a server that runs the simulations.

If the server can be interfaced to a client that interacts with a larger simulation engine than JSIM would be a great platform for a real time simulator.

JSim can be run from the command line. This interface supports the initialization of variables. This might be sufficient to simulate medical interventions in real time.

• CVRESP - is a Closed-Loop Cardiopulmonary Model with very complicated project-file.

•  Virtual Soldier Project funded by DARPA uses a  JSIM-based Cardiopulmonary model. The project attempts to create a 3-d model of the thorax to model penetrating injuries. 

  • spbhagit -  Listed on the Physiome Project site this is a closed loop cardiopulmonary model composed of a four-chamber varying-elastance heart, a pericardium, a systemic circulation, a  pulmonary circulation, airways mechanics, baroreceptors, gas  exchange, blood gas handling and selectable injurie - JSIM project file

  • VS001 - is an improved version of the model with a coronary circulation and peripheral chemoreceptors.

• A Web-based Computer Architecture for the Virtual Soldier

There are other simulation environments with the same name:

• JSIM  from John  Miller of University of Georgia is based on Jini and XML standards.

PHYSBE

Developed by John McLeod in 1966. PHYSBE is a simulation of the human cardiovascular and respiration system

•     An Implementation using Matlab Simulink

Medisim

• An old project with U Penn, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Sandia National Labs, and the Naval Postgraduate School to do a 3-D simulation of  a medic responding to a penetrating wound to the thorax.

Simulations for Medical Training

Dummy-based Systems

• METI products

  • Human Patient Simulator

    • "Through a painstaking marriage of high touch with high tech, this dramatically functional mannequin exhibits clinical signals so lifelike that students have been known to cry when it dies."

  • PediaSIM, SimMAN, Birthing Simulator, Code Blue Baby

• SimSuite Centers from Medical Simulation Corporation

Haptic-based Simulations

Haptic simulations use force and pressure feedback to give the sensation of physically manipulated a real object.

• Immersion Medical - simulation for endoscopy, endovascular, hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and vascular access. Gives touch and visual feedback.

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Teaching Tools

• InterActive Physiology from A.D.A.M costs $575 gives a multimedia presentation.

• Web-HUMAN Systems Physiology Simulation at Skidmore College

• Body Simulation by N. Ty Smith and Advanced Simulation Corporation

  • BODY99.DLL - $2,195.00 per copy
    • The Body Simulation models are available as a dynamic link library for groups that require a physiologic model behind their application. This library is the core of Body Simulation for Anesthesia, just waiting to have a custom interface built around it.
• Anesoft Corporation
  • makes a series of simulators for everything including neonatal resuscitation, anesthesia and critical care. These simulations can be used to continuing education credits for physicians.

Conferences

• List from Physiome Project

• 6th Annual International Meeting on Medical Simulation

   

Research Groups

• Harvard Medical Simulation

  • References to Articles

  • Links

• Stanford Simulation Center

Odds and Ends

• Combat Medic Special Ops - a computer game that does not seem to get good reviews. Developed by Legacy Interactive which has other medical-based games.

• GEMSS Cardiovascular Simulation Software

   

Online Resources

• Society for Medical Simulation
  • SimDot - A Human Simulation Web Community that hosts a repository for simulators sponsored by the Society for Medical Simulation
  • SimBlog - a blog about Medical Simulation