Background
Dr. Robert Wilkinson of Washington University School of Medicine developed a mock left ventricle circulatory system for use in teaching Frank-Starling's Law to medical students. In creating a prototype (seen below), many problems were uncovered and a new design was needed to develop a more realistic, advanced, and sustainable teaching model. Thus, our design team of Megan Foran, Daniel Jones, and Frank Moynihan was granted the opportunity to work with Dr. Wilkinson in developing a new design we call the Teaching Heart. This webpage documents our progression through the design stages including weekly reports, presentations, relevant articles we come across, and more. See the "Project Schedule" page for a more detailed look at the deadlines that the team fulfilled along the way.
Dr. Wilkinson's Need
A key concept in teaching cardiovascular physiology is that a ventricle regulates its own venous return pressure via the length-tension relation of its sarcomeres (Starling’s Law; the Frank-Starling effect). As a consequence, arterial pressure is regulated concomitantly, as is cardiac output. How the Frank-Starling effect actually leads to regulation of arterial pressure and cardiac output is difficult for students to visualize. Given the framework of the negative-feedback system,
students often have a difficult time visualizing the mechanical control of
circulation. There is a need for a physical model that allows the students to
experience how variable factors such as stroke volume, heart rate, and
peripheral resistance impact circulation from a purely mechanical standpoint. To be used in a small group setting.
Our Project Scope
To address this need, the Teaching Heart team will design a hand-operated, portable device that is easily manipulated by a single user. This mechanical model is intended for use by medical instructors and students, modeling circulation through the left ventricle and its periphery. The purpose of this device is to illustrate the mechanical negative-feedback control of cardiac output and arterial pressure governed by Frank-Starling’s Law.