Providence Sacred Heart and Children's Hospital

At Providence Hospital, I interned for the Mechanical Heart Unit where the goal of the internship was to build a mock Circulatory System Loop with pulsatility. This model would then be used to educate medical personnel on how different heart rates influence the HeartMate 2 mechanical heart device. Using our given budgets, we purchased materials necessary to simulate the vessels of the body. Using an old mechanical heart (HeartMate XVE) we were able to simulate the heart (this device can be seen in video as the large round pump in the left hand side of the screen). This device was able to show different heart rates. Both of these devices were connected to different screens where we could monitor the motors on the devices.

 

This experiences taught us that being creative with building the system was an important aspect to stay within our budget.