MediSim: a prototype VR system for training medical first responders

This paper presents a prototype virtual reality (VR) system for training medical first responders. The initial application is to battlefield medicine and focuses on the training of medical corpsmen and other front-line personnel who might be called upon to provide emergency triage on the battlefield. The system is built upon Sandia's multi-user, distributed VR platform and provides an interactive, immersive simulation capability. The user is represented by an Avatar and is able to manipulate his virtual instruments and carry out medical procedures. A dynamic casualty simulation provides realistic cues to the patient's condition (e.g. changing blood pressure and pulse) and responds to the actions of the trainee (e.g. a change in the color of a patient's skin may result from a check of the capillary refill rate). The current casualty simulation is of an injury resulting in a tension pneumothorax. This casualty model was developed by the University of Pennsylvania and integrated into the Sandia MediSim system.