DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EMILY: A CARDIAC HEMODYNAMIC SIMULATOR FOR MEDICAL TRAINING

The study of hemodynamics is crucial for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease (CVD), which has become the leading cause of death globally among noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and accounting for over half of all NCD-related mortalities (with 20.5 million CVD-related deaths in 2021). Fundamental assessments of heart function in clinics such as blood pressure, blood flow rate and heart rate, are essential components of the hemodynamic-based analysis. Given the increasing incidence of CVD worldwide, the necessity for advanced medical procedures and highly trained personnel has become paramount. Efforts towards educating and training healthcare professionals are essential to ensure better management of CVD, reduce mortality rates, and improve the overall quality of cardiovascular care globally. In this thesis project, a user-friendly and compact cardiac hemodynamics simulator (EMILY) was developed in collaboration with the company Mouzee S.R.L., aimed at training medical staff in surgical interventions and enhancing their surgical skills. The simulator design is based on a hydraulic circuit composed of distensible tubes, a constant flow hydraulic pump, and controllable solenoid valves. An ESP32 was programmed to control the simulator's components and connected to the internet for parameter modification via a dashboard, utilizing the communication capabilities of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Online Micro services. To simulate physiological conditions, a 3D-printed heart with inguinal access to its main veins was designed. The simulator successfully replicated a pulsatile flow of approximately 4500 mL/min. It was effectively connected to the internet, and the user-friendly dashboard allowed for easy parameter adjustments and component control. The project demonstrated the feasibility of creating a low-cost, user-friendly simulator that enables healthcare personnel to train in high-risk procedures without using animals or cadavers. Future work should explore the possibility of simulating more physiologically accurate flow patterns and incorporating heart valve replacement procedures, such as TAVR, into the heart design.