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Introduction
Welcome
to the Cardiac Mechanics Simulator Exercises. These exercises are meant to help you learn
basic concepts in cardiovascular mechanics by integrating course lecture
topics with visualization and hands-on exercises. The exercises are divided
into four basic units, which are in turn subdivided into topics. Each
topic contains associated syllabus readings, simulator exercises, a quiz,
and links to related background and reference information.
This Heart
Simulator is continually being developed and modified to be used as a
tool for teaching cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology to students
of all levels. The program simulates many aspects of ventricular properties;
because of this, however, the full program may at first seem complex and
confusing. Therefore, we have created a series of initial exercises to
familiarize you with the simulator, how you change parameters, and how
to view the resultant changes in cardiovascular performance.
The approach we present is based largely on the work of numerous cardiovascular
physiologists, and most notably on the works of Suga, Sagawa, Sunagawa
and Maughan. Most of the concepts are difficult to appreciate by static
graphs and text descriptions. Our goal is to provide students with a resource
with which they can explore the dynamic interactions that comprise the
cardiovascular system. Our hope is that this approach will facilitate
the development of a system of understanding the determinants of cardiac
function in health and disease.
Technical Requirements: Netscape 4.75 (or higher) or Internet Explorer
5.0
How to Use the Exercises:
-
Review the syllabus and related resources. Prior to beginning
exercises, review the associated syllabus content. Ultimately, it
is this material in the syllabus for which you will be responsible
for mastering; however, if you have trouble understanding a topic,
make sure that you consult the related resource links which will provide
broader or alternative explanations of concepts.
-
Do the exercises. If you have trouble doing an exercise, review
the associated lecture and/or online related resources.
-
Test Your Knowledge. The quizzes summarize the concepts that
were covered in each topic and test your understanding of both the
lecture content and the cardiovascular properties simulated via the
exercises. The clinical cases challenge you to apply and extend the
concepts covered in the exercises as you consider hypothetical situations.
(NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE)
To begin the exercises, select an exercise from the from the list or click "Next".