Cardionics, a Texas-based auscultation simulator company, has worked to develop auscultation products and services that offer both interactive and experiential systems components. These products and services can be integrated into classroom settings, as they have clinical and telehealth applications. In the Summer of 2019, Cardionics was acquired by 3B Scientific.
The Cardionics company was founded by the late Abe Ravin, M.D., FACC in 1969. Ravin was a Cardiologist and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver. He developed the first heart sound simulator to assist his students in learning to identify and differentiate normal and abnormal cardiac and pulmonary sounds.
Later, the American College of Cardiology acknowledged Ravin’s contribution by presenting him with the distinguished Gifted Teacher Award. His work helped lead Cardionics and healthcare simulation as a whole into the ever-advancing realm of technology.
Since the founding of this company, Cardionics has sought to provide the medical industry with reliable high-quality products that provide value to the company’s customers and partners worldwide. The auscultation simulator provider also works to improve medical education, specifically in terms of the advancement of cardiac and pulmonary education.
“The real benefit of the Cardionics tools is how they help students tie together the didactic with the practical application,” Dr. Linda Mason Barber, an Assistant Professor at the University of West Georgia, expressed about the company.
Today and into the future, Cardionics’ approach continuously leads toward the development of more auscultation products and services than ever before. On the company’s website the goal of making “the world a better place through life-saving and medical education innovations” is shared.
“Innovation is at the core of our products. Service is at the core of our team. Above all, our customer comes first,” the Cardionics team also shared on the company’s website.
Product Systems
Cardionics has put together three primary product systems: the clinical system, the learning system and the telehealth system. Together, these products and systems provide learners with a comprehensive educational tool focused on the heart of auscultation and clinical simulation learning.
Consisting of a line of electronic stethoscopes, the patient simulator system enables Physicians to amplify and analyze physiological sounds. For medical professionals or students with hearing loss, the company offers solutions through a line of electronic stethoscopes.
The clinical system comes with reliable equipment that is imperative to medical professionals’ proper auscultation. With the line of electronic stethoscopes, the clinical system enables Physicians to amplify and analyze physiological sounds.
Clinical system products include the Clinical E-Scope, Hearing Impaired E-Scope and SimulScope Bedside Auscultation System. The SimulScope allows clinicians and students the ability to hear live patient physiological sounds with up to 20 people simultaneously. This product is also designed to provide targeted, bedside instruction for students, while minimizing intrusion on the patient.
Other products available for purchase include the 3M littmann Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200, large over-ear headphones, traditional-style headphones with a 3.5 mm plug, and a variety of other headphones, bells, patch cords and cables all of which are perfect for the sim lab.
Alternatively, the learning system is a more holistic approach to auscultation and clinical education. Through the learning system, Cardionics’ goal is to give learners the opportunity to practice critical skills in a fun, engaging way. The company also uses this system to equip learners with the most advanced tools in the industry.
With over a dozen products easily interconnected, the Learning System comprises comprehensive, instructive instruments in the classroom, simulation laboratory and online. These products range from auscultation manikins to CDs and literature to wearable simulators.
For example, the Bionic Hybrid Simulator serves as a complete solution to assessment simulation. Developed in conjunction with the Multidisciplinary Simulation Center at the Mayo Clinic, the Bionic Hybrid Simulator allows learners to perform a complete physical assessment, while retaining the human-to-human interaction necessary for realistic, engaging education.
Then, products like the “SAM 3G” — the Student Auscultation Manikin, 3rd Generation — can be used as the go-to auscultation trainer for any academic level. Designed with both learners and instructors in mind, the SAM 3G offers a large library of physiological sounds and intuitive tools for teaching auscultation.
Another popular learning system tool, the SAM Online is an online platform that provides access to an extensive simulated sounds library, lesson guides for over 60 conditions and tools to examine progress 24/7. Available to users of SAM, PAT and the Bionic Hybrid Simulator — or for individual purchase — SAM Online helps reenforce the concepts of auscultation at any academic level.
Other learning system tools and trainers include the SlimShirt System, Pediatric Auscultation Trainer, SimScope, SAM Basic, PAT Basic, Classroom Infrared Emitter, HeartMan Infrared Headphone, CarioSim VII, Auditorium Infrared Sound System, Pulse Training System and more.
Lastly, the company’s telehealth system offers advanced solutions for the highest-fidelity auscultation. These solutions send and receive patients’ physiological sounds over the internet, allowing for filtering, recording and distributing of live heart and lung sounds.
Using the Cardionics telehealth system, a patient’s heart, lung and bowel sounds are sent over telecommunication devices. They are usually from remote or rural locations, to a Physician or hospital where the sounds can be better analyzed.
An example of a telehealth system product includes the Ausulette, which can be used as both a sending and receiving auscultation system. The stethoscope is placed on the patient in a normal manner. When used with a teleconferencing system, Cardionics supplies the appropriate connecting cable.
Another telehealth system product is the E-Scope, which allows medical professionals to auscultate with increased volume by amplifying sounds up to 30 times louder than an acoustic scope. The E-Scope is popular around the world in clinics, hospitals, research laboratories and telemedicine settings. Additionally, the E-Scope can be paired with an accessory cord to broadcast sounds through speakers or other audio outputs.
Furthermore, the SimulScope system produced by Cardionics allows clinicians and learners to hear live patient physiological sounds with up to 20 people simultaneously. The SimulScope is designed to provide targeted, bedside instruction for learners, while minimizing intrusion on the patient. This is another product which can be largely successful when utilized in classrooms and simulation centers when auscultating simulators or manikins. You can see many of these systems and more at healthcare simulation conferences like IMSH or INACSL.
