Abstract:

In this work the new approaches in teaching medical biophysics are described. The medical biophysics course provided by our department is very complex. Its content consists of three parts: biophysics, statistics, and information technologies. The forms of teaching used are lectures, seminars and practical training. The biophysical part is divided into these parts: medical imaging, biophysics of senses, biophysics of cardiovascular system, molecular physics, biosignals, electrical activity of a heart. It is necessary to use the simplified physical models (calculus must be avoided) in some topics. The other topics are very difficult from the point of view of geometrical imagination. The analysis of pedagogical specificity of teaching this subject at medical faculty is done. One of the problems is insufficient mathematical and physical background of students. The aim is to prepare the more illustrative and realistic teaching. It is also recommended to work with real data as often as it is possible.

One way to improve the teaching process is to use virtual experiments. A set of virtual experiments was prepared. The experiments are based on analysis of images with graphical presentation of some typical situation in circulatory system. The graphical simulations of the blood flow were prepared by means of final elements method.

The other innovation is the remote measurement. We have prepared two experiments. The first one is called "The demonstration of the phase transformation of nitinol" and the second one "Mechanical properties of nitinol spiral stent" (stents are usually metal scaffolds, the main function of stent is to provide mechanical support of damaged artery or some other hollow organ to restore lumen and blood flow conditions in arteries). The first one is only demonstration of the consequence of the phase transformation by means of nitinol spring and weight. The second experiment demonstrates some mechanical properties of the stent (stress-strain curve).

The systems for automated measurement and data acquisition were introduced into practical part of the course too. Some of them are based on the commercial clinical devices (automated perimetry, automated audiometry, spirometry, ECG recording), some systems were developed at our department (measurement of the minimal angle resolution of the eye, automated measurement of the mechanical properties of the wire spiral stent).
Supported by the programme PRVOUK P37/09.

Keywords:

Medical biophysics, remote laboratory, virtual experiment, simulation.