Arterial-line monitoring system simulation

We sought to improve the realism of our patient simulation environment by developing a simulation of the arterial-line monitoring system. Properties of the system we wished to depict were: electro-mechanical delay between ECG and radial artery pressure, beat to beat amplitude variability and respiratory variation, realistic looking pulse pressure in hypertensive and hypotensive states, a functional link to the stopcock and transducer flush, and filtering characteristics of the measurement system. A standard clinical pressure transducer and stopcock were modified to provide data about their state to a personal computer. A software program was written to modify the arterial pressure waveform from a patient simulator according to the pressure transducer and stopcock state as well as user settings to produce a new waveform. All of the desired improvements in the realism of the arterial waveform were implemented. The realism of scenarios using the patient simulator is enhanced by having the arterial-line monitoring system more accurately simulated.