Life Support Systems Education based on Project-Based Learning

Project based learning is a recognized effective pedagogical model, largely applied in many engineering, health sciences and economics undergraduate programs. This paper presents an innovative PBL example devoted to the life support systems unit of the biomedical instrumentation MSc curricula. The project aims to implement a replica of an automated external defibrillator capable of generating both monophasic and biphasic truncated exponential defibrillation pulses. The project uses knowledge of several electrical engineering areas, namely electronics, instrumentation and software. Besides the project, the unit also includes a practical seminar with simulated resuscitation (compressions and ventilation)maneuvers in a dummy and with the simulation of the automated external defibrillator usage in a patient.