New Additions
High Pressure Systems The ventilator drive gas supplied by the high pressure system may be configured to come from the oxygen or air manifold, using a model based upon the Aestiva or Modulus II. These machines have different oxygen failsafe valves and cylinder pressure gauge behaviors. Cylinders may be disconnected and drained to see how the systems respond to inadequate pressures.
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Low Pressure Systems This simulation may be configured to reflect different anesthesia machine designs. Options include an air flowmeter, a second vaporizer, a common gas outlet, a common gas outlet checkvalve, and a selectable auxiliary common gas outlet. |
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Scavenging Systems There is a wide variation in scavenging systems around the world. This simulation models the active open, active bag, passive bag, and the passive activated charcoal scavenging systems. All simulations may be configured to scavenge ventilator drive gas. |
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Aestiva Simulation A blackbox simulation of the Aestiva anesthesia machine, with no visible gas flows. |
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Modulus II Simulation A blackbox simulation of the Modulus II anesthesia machine, with no visible gas flows. |
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Instructor Version of VAM
The unique features of Instructor VAM relative to the free basic VAM version are listed below.
Spontaneous breathing
Fourteen anesthesia machine faults and a randomized mystery fault.
A tutorial on how to use instructor VAM and how the faults may be used for instruction
Ability to pause/resume the simulation
Ability to hide/show the gas molecule icons, depending on teaching style or to make some faults less obvious
Ability to select and track a single gas molecule as it flows through the machine
Adjustable Ventilator Settings
I:E ratio
Tidal volume
Frequency
Inspiratory pause
Inspiratory pressure limit
Monitoring
SpO2 including tones and alarms
FiO2 including alarm
Capnogram including normal and abnormal capnograms
NIBP
HR
Airway pressure trace
Exhaled VT measurement
Minute ventilation measurement
Audible alarm and silence button
How to Obtain Access to the VAM
Instructor Area
To obtain free access to the VAM instructor area, ask representatives
of drug and anesthesia equipment companies to sponsor
access to the VAM instructor area (US$100 per year
per instructor). Alternatively, you or your hospital, University or
institution can purchase access
to the VAM Instructor area by sending US$100 by credit card or check/money
order for an annual fee. Click here for
details for sponsoring/obtaining access to the VAM instructor area.
Continued free access to the simulations in the free Member's Area
is supported, in part, by the fees for accessing the VAM Instructor
area.
Why is the Access Model Being
Tweaked for the VAM Instructor Area?
The VAM project, beyond being an exploration of model-driven, interactive
web simulation, is also an experiment in sustainable web philanthropy.
The VAM team, with the financial support of the chair of the UF Department
of Anesthesiology, made the decision right from the start in 1999
to make the VAM simulation available free of charge over the Web so
that financial means would not be a barrier to access to essential
patient safety materials. Our strategy was to obtain funding via corporate
sponsorship and donations to eventually (within 5 years) meet the VAM
team's payroll and make the VAM project self-sustaining.
Five years into this funding experiment, we have had to admit that VAM's philanthropic access model as originally conceived has failed and will not work without tweaking. Over the last 5 years, we received $22,500 in corporate sponsorship and $510 in donations, accounting for less than 5% of the total VAM team payroll. Lampotang et al, Anesthesiology 99: A1319, 2003
It is important to note that the simulations in the Member's Area remain free. Access to the VAM instructor area is also "free" to you if one of your industry contacts sponsors you.