Education

Perfusion Education Resources

Medtronic leverages a 30-year history of perfusion excellence to provide our customers with several educational resources. Our Perfusion Academia programs are developed in collaboration with preeminent clinicians and are geared toward providing you access to unique educational opportunities designed to enrich your knowledge and understanding, advance skills and improve procedures. Click on the following links to learn more about our education programs:

Perfusion Academia Programs

Perfusion Academia Programs include:

• Simulator-based Training Program
• Peer-to-Peer Training Program
• Custom Perfusion Systems Program
• In-Service Training Programs, including
  • Hospital In-Service
  • Perfusion School In-Service Training Programs.

To be enrolled in any of our educational programs, contact your Medtronic sales representative or contact us.

Perfusion Academia: Simulator-Based Perfusion Training

Launch the Virtual Cardiac OR Video

Watch a new video highlighting Medtronic's new virtual cardiac OR, just one example of Medtronic's commitment to the advancement of simulator-based education and training for perfusionists.
 

We encourage clinicians to participate in Medtronic’s simulator-based training with the Orpheus Perfusion Simulator. This 2-day program is geared toward elevating the user’s knowledge, skills and proficiency in using new devices without putting patients at risk. Simulators are fast becoming the reliable substitute for the animal model or the actual patient for recreating multiple challenges when conducting cardiopulmonary bypass.

Orpheus is a computer-controlled hydraulic model of human circulation, designed for training personnel responsible for the conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass procedures. “The simulator incorporates realistic hemodynamic, metabolic, thermodynamic, oxygen transport and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models intended for use as a complete patient substitute to train perfusionists and other medical or paramedical staff in the use of a heart-lung machine.” ¹

Improving patient safety through medical simulation training has been proven to produce elevated knowledge, skills and proficiency in device operation and reduce user-errors in the delivery of health care. In a randomized controlled trial, Peugnet and colleagues used a virtual reality simulator to train physicians to perform retinal photocoagulation and found that surgeons who trained with the simulator performed the procedure as well as those who trained with patients.²

To be enrolled in any of our educational programs, contact your Medtronic sales representative or contact us.

Peer-to-Peer Programs

Perfusion Academia: Peer-to-Peer Training Programs (USA)

Peer-to-Peer training provides a unique opportunity to learn best practices from other practicing clinicians while addressing the safe and effective use of Medtronic devices. In addition to learning about Medtronic Perfusion Systems, Medtronic invites you to experience a unique educational opportunity with new technologies that are shaping the future of cardiopulmonary bypass. By participating in a peer-to-peer training event, you will observe a live surgical procedure and learn about the technologies and techniques employed by your fellow experts. Training is directed to practicing perfusionists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists and support staff.

During Our Site Visit, Participants Can Expect To:

1. Tour the state-of-the-art Medtronic manufacturing facility, to view our operations and quality assurance program
2. Meet with your personal perfusion system coordinator to draw your specifications for blood circuits and build samples
3. Consult with a team of engineers and IT specialists to review your particular circuit
4. Learn about the Medtronic Gold sample/production program and why it benefits your practice - particularly in emergency situations

Rethinking Blood Conservation Peer-to-Peer Program (USA)

The Rethinking Blood Conservation (RBC^®) peer-to-peer training program is designed for cardiac teams and introduces practices and perspectives that can lead to a reduction in blood transfusion. The faculty at partner hospitals and Medtronic are pleased to offer visiting cardiac teams an overview of techniques that have resulted in reduced usage of blood.

During a Typical RBC Peer-to-Peer Training Program, You Will:

• View didactic presentations and participate in informal discussions related to implementing a blood management program
• Observe key practice techniques that are proven to reduce the need for transfusion. These include closed heparin bonded circuits; use of centrifugal blood pumps; reduced anticoagulation during CABG; separation of suction blood; precise heparin and protamine dosing; collection, concentration and washing of autologous blood; team involvement and communication
• Engage in open discussions with the entire cardiac blood management team: the cardiac surgeon, cardiac anesthesiologist, cardiac perfusionist and cardiac nurse
• Observe a cardiac procedure to view the techniques, devices and team functions that are required to attain better outcomes
• Review and discuss clinical pathways and protocols
• Receive a data collection packet to track your own success

To be enrolled in any of our educational programs, contact your Medtronic sales representative or contact us.

Perfusion Academia: Custom Perfusion Systems Program (Mexico)

Medtronic invites customers to visit our state-of-the-art perfusion manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico. In addition to learning about Medtronic Perfusion Systems device design and manufacturing, customers have the opportunity to collaborate with on-site experts on how to customize the optimal perfusion system for your patients.

During Our Site Visit, Participants Can Expect To:

• Tour the state-of-the-art Medtronic Perfusion Systems manufacturing facility, to view our operations, quality assurance program and perfusion device design process
• Learn about technological advances in circuit design and production
• Meet with your personal perfusion system coordinator to draw specifications for circuits, build samples and show drawing changes
• Meet with a team of perfusion system engineers and IT specialists to review drawings of your particular circuit and identify ways to make the circuit simpler and more efficient
• Learn about the Medtronic Gold sample/production program and why it benefits your practice – particularly in emergency situations

To be enrolled in any of our educational programs, contact your Medtronic sales representative or contact us.

In-service Programs

Perfusion Academia: In-Service Perfusion Training Programs

Our in-service programs are designed to provide customers and students with on-site support for Medtronic product training needs.

Hospital In-Service Training Program

Our clinical education specialists are available for in-hospital training when new Medtronic devices are undergoing an evaluation in the clinical setting. Our team’s legacy is comprised of over 100 cumulative years of clinical experience as perfusion technologists as well as over 60 cumulative years as educators for medical device manufacturers. They are indeed, the experts you can rely on to assist you while incorporating new devices into your surgical practice.

Perfusion School In-Service Training Program (USA)

Our Perfusion School Partnership program provides a 1 ½-day workshop on advanced technologies for perfusion students aimed at understanding the science behind the design for medical devices used in cardiac surgery. These are topics that are not typically offered in the conventional perfusion school curriculum. They include Human Factors Engineering, Testing for Gaseous Micro-Emboli, Physio-Chemistry of Heparin Coatings, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Blood Conservation Techniques, Fluid Shear, Pumping Technologies, Oxygenator Performance and Simulation in Perfusion. Upon request, perfusion schools located in the United States may make arrangements with Medtronic to visit our state-of-the-art oxygenator manufacturing facility.

To be enrolled in any of our educational programs, contact your Medtronic sales representative or contact us.