CycleWin

Description: CycleWin is a Windows version of an earlier program entitled ’Events of the Cardiac Cycle’ which incorporates animation and sounds (requires a sound card and external speakers). The cardiac cycle is described in 9 intervals. The major events occuring in each interval are described and depicted graphically using traces of the heart sounds, aortic, atrial and ventricular pressures, ventricular volume and the ECG. A review of the normal cycle shows dynamic changes in opening and closure of the four valves and changes in ventricular volume. The program generates simulated heart sounds with the ability to add and remove the third and fourth heart sound as well as the ability to alter heart rate. A separate section deals with murmurs produced by common valve lesions. A description of each lesion is provided along with a dynamic presentation of the strip chart records of pressures, volume, ECG and sounds. A major part of this program is a question and answer segment which randomly presents sixty questions regarding the cardiac cycle along with 2 of the above traces. The combination of various traces and questions provides a wide range of difficulty level for each question depending on which traces accompany each question. Students can review the cardiac cycle during the quiz, although they are penalized for the review. The student’s score is kept so they can evaluate their understanding of the events of the cardiac cycle.

Comments & References: Menu-driven. Primarily designed as a review and reinforcement technique for a systemic, organ physiology course. Text is kept to a minimum and the emphasis is placed on graphics and simulations to provide for active participation by the user(s). See record numbers 141, 694, 695, 696, 702, 721, 739, 803 for the other 8 records in the Comp-Edu-Grams series.

Computer type: IBM

Price: Single user per disc: US$75.00; Site license provides unlimited local use of the program at a cost of US$200.00 per disc