BioGears Human Physiology Engine
Challenge
The goals for BioGears® include:
- Creating a comprehensive, extensible human physiology engine that will drive medical training technologies
- Creating a publicly available physiology research platform that enables accurate and consistent simulated physiology across training applications
- Lowering the barrier to create medical training content
- Engaging the community to develop and extend physiology models
- Meeting the training needs of the military
- Expanding the body of knowledge about the use of simulated physiology for medical education
Solution
ARA’s biomedical research team is developing BioGears (www.biogearsengine.com), an open-source physiology engine to allow for distributed collaboration and consistent simulation across the medical training community. The BioGears physiology engine models human response to trauma and treatment and includes physiologically accurate models for multiple systems.
Several features set BioGears above the rest:
- BioGears includes mathematical models for a wide range of systems, medical interfaces, and substances for real-time retrieval of accurate physiology state.
- The common data model includes standard inputs, outputs, units, conversions, and naming conventions that make model additions and product integration quick and easy.
- Our website is a place for discussion and sharing among our community of users. Explore showcase scenarios, participate in the forums, and use the tutorials to guide BioGears integration.
- A full-featured API, SDK, code-based documentation, and tutorial examples make BioGears easy to understand and use. Rigorous validation methods ensure accurate model output.
BioGears in action:
The BioGears team worked with ARA’s Virtual Heroes Division to integrate BioGears with the Combat Medic immersive training environment. Combat Medic provides military medical trainees the opportunity to learn how to treat the top three causes of preventable deaths on the modern battlefield, hemorrhage, airway trauma, and tension pneumothorax. For each scenario, BioGears provides real-time, dynamic physiologic feedback as trainees interact with virtual patients.
