ASL 5000 Aids in Interdisciplinary Study

Salisbury University students Christopher Wilson, Kathy Burris, and Brooke Sproul combined their love for math and science in a research project that explored the math behind assisted breathing. Using IngMar Medical’s ASL 5000 Breathing Simulator, Wilson, Burris, and Sproul were able to dissect the underlying mathematics associated with mechanical ventilation.

“The respiratory therapy students are taught to interpret graphs that diagram patient-ventilator interaction. This allows them to understand what is occurring clinically to best manage the patient’s respiratory failure, but they don’t necessarily understand the underlying mathematics producing the graphs,” said Dr. Robert Joyner, SU’s Respiratory Therapy program director.

In the end, this research study proved to be a prime example of how differential equations are used in real-life situations.

“I think it is interesting to see how what we do in mathematics really does apply to the real world,” said Burris, “This was a great way to make critical connections for between both disciplines.”

The students plan to write about their findings in the American Physiological Society’s Advances in Physiology Education journal.

Read the full Salisbury University news article here.