3D-Printed silicone anatomic patient simulator to enhance training on cardiopulmonary bypass

Background: Simulator training is important for teaching perfusion students fundamental skills associated with CBP before they start working in the clinic. Currently available high-fidelity simulators lack anatomic features that would help students visually understand the connection between hemodynamic parameters and anatomic structure. Therefore, a 3D-printed silicone cardiovascular system was developed at our institution. This study aimed to determine whether using this anatomic perfusion simulator instead of a traditional “bucket” simulator would better improve perfusion students’ understanding of cannulation sites, blood flow, and anatomy. Methods: Sixteen students were tested to establish their baseline knowledge. They were randomly divided into two groups to witness a simulated bypass pump run on one of two simulators – anatomic or bucket – then retested. To better analyze the data, we defined “true learning” as characterized by an incorrect answer on the pre-simulation assessment being corrected on the post-simulation assessment. Results: The group that witnessed the simulated pump run on the anatomic simulator showed a larger increase in mean test score, more instances of true learning, and a larger gain in the acuity confidence interval. Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, the results suggest that the anatomic simulator is a valuable instrument for teaching new perfusion students.