A Virtual Environment for Emergency Ultrasound Training during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Abstract

We propose a virtual reality (VR) communication training environment to train cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ultrasound (US) imaging simultaneously. Existing simulators only allow separate training of the two procedures. Our method separates the users spatially, as they each work on their own manikin. One manikin is part of a US simulator commonly used in medical training, and the other manikin is a CPR manikin. Our VR application simulates the users working on the same virtual patient. This allows for an immersive training experience in which communication skills, which are especially important in such critical situations, can be practiced by medical professionals. The prototype has the potential to provide an important foundation for advanced VR-based emergency medical training.