To develop a portable capillary refill simulator to be used during clinical simulations for training medical personnel.

Project Overview

Circulatory shock is a common acute diagnosis made by medical professionals, and effective management is dependent on early recognition. Capillary refill time, the time for perfusion to return to a skin tissue bed after briefly pressing on it, is utilized for this early recognition and is a standard component of algorithms for recognition and management of circulatory shock.

Medical personnel frequently train in management of shock using simulation, often manikin-based, but no commercially available capillary refill simulator exists to incorporate into training simulations. Use of such a simulator would enhance the realism, and therefore effectiveness, of simulation-based training.

Previously published work with an LED light seems less realistic than desired and participants indicated less visual realism. A more realistic way to show capillary refill is needed.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Barton Wei - Team Leader
• MJ Hammill - Communicator
• Jack Rueth - BSAC
• Chanul Kim - BWIG
• Adrienne Rasmussen - BPAG
• Caleb Schulz

Advisor and Client

• Dr. Melissa Skala - Advisor
• Dr. Melissa Kinney - Advisor
• Dr. Sushant Srinivasan - Client

Related Projects

• Fall 2023: Capillary Refill Simulator
• Spring 2023: Capillary refill simulator