Humannequin: Medical Training Mannequin

Abstract

The objective of the “Humannequin: Medical Training Mannequin” prototype is to engineer a comprehensive training experience for students of Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Students and faculty at FAU’s Clinical Skills Simulation Center voiced their need for a redesign due to the prohibitive cost and inherent limitations of existing medical training mannequins. Humannequin’s solution involves the seamless integration of four subsystems that allow pulse detection, CPR administration, bioacoustics sound production, and automatic patient posturing. Tactile pulse palpation at the wrist is controlled by a peristaltic pump and auxiliary fluid system permitting students to check patient vital signs in real-time. In the event of cardiac arrest, CPR may be administered while an array of force sensors monitors its effectiveness. Heart and lung audio, provided by 3M^TM Littmann® Stethoscopes, is relayed to a Bluetooth headset after interaction between a magnetically enhanced stethoscope and Hall effect sensors throughout a removable vest. A lift assist system composed of linear actuators and a custom support system transitions the patient from a supine to an upright position at the student’s command. Arduino microcontrollers and a graphical user interface simultaneously orchestrate the subsystems in the form of pre-built simulation scenarios.