Reported October 2006

BACKGROUND: Rush University Medical Center, along with other institutions, are using one of the first baby simulators to realistically train clinicians for what might occur in an actual crisis situation, without the risk of causing harm to these vulnerable young patients through trial and error. Simulator training increases patient safety without increasing patient risk. So the more training in a realistic setting that can be given, the less potential harm for patients in real settings while clinicians are trying to diagnose individual cases.

HOW IT WORKS: BabySim is shaped like a life-sized baby. It can blink, move its chest, cry, exhale and cough, among other movements. It functions much like the barcode systems used at supermarket checkout counters. External information is converted by transducers into electrical signals, causing the BabySim to react much like a normal baby would when, for example, given a certain type of medication. The simulator can also allow caregivers to perform clinical tasks like tracheal intubation, insertion of IVs or bladder catheters, and chest compressions, providing realistic clinical scenarios.

UNDER PRESSURE: Pressure sensors date back to the advent of the steam engine. They are still used to daily monitor the pressure of fluids in pipes, engines, hydraulics, or in nature to determine the depth of an ice pack, for example, of the density of a rock layer. The basic concept can also be adapted to determine the pressure of solids or gases. Most are about a cubic inch in size, but others are much, much smaller such as those used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMs). They use piezoresistance (PEE-zo resistance): pressure causes a material, like quartz, to conduct electricity; the intensity of the current corresponds to how much pressure is being applied. This charge is detected and recorded by a computer and displayed for analysis by scientists.

WHAT ARE TRANSDUCERS: Transducers are electric devices that transform energy from one form into another, and they are used in a wide range of modern technology, including Geiger counters, electric motors, generators, pressure sensors, thermometers, antennae, light bulbs, and microphones, to name a few. For example, a microphone converts sound waves (mechanical energy) that strike its membrane into an electrical signal. A light bulb converts electrical energy into visible light. Electric motors convert electricity into kinetic energy to perform a given task, while a generator turns kinetic energy back into electrical energy, which can be used by electrical devices.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Paul Severin, M.D., FAAP
Rush University Simulator Lab
Chicago, IL
(312) 942-6194
paul_j_severin@rush.edu

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
Washington, D.C. 20036-5104
(202) 785-0017
ieeeusa@ieee.org
http://www.ieee.org

ON THE WEB...

Video of the Rush Baby Simulator:

Rush University Simulation Lab

METI's BabySim Home Page