The Pulse Physiology Engine can be used as a standalone application or integrated with simulators, sensor interfaces, and models of all fidelities. The platform includes a common data model for standard model and data definitions, a software interface for engine control, robust physics-based circuit and transport solvers, and a verification and validation suite. The architecture was specifically designed to reduce model development time and increase the usability of the engine in simulations by creating a modular, extensible definition for human physiology. Pulse provides the following benefits to its user community:
Pulse is comprised of numerical models representing the different body systems, feedback mechanisms and interactions between the systems, PK/PD, and medical equipment. The major systems are modeled using zero-dimensional lumped-parameter circuit analogs (e.g., the cardiovascular circuit) with homeostatic feedback. The differential equations contained in each system are calculated through transient analysis with a shared dynamic time step. The numerical models currently execute with a time step of 20 ms, which can be reduced, as necessary, to ensure all physiology features of interest are captured, while maintaining real-time execution for the simulation.
Pulse has been developed through a combination of funding by many different government and private entities, and is a significantly improved and extended fork from the DoD-funded BioGears program. The Pulse repository is maintained by the Kitware team that includes the original core BioGears creators (see the FAQ). Pulse has recently been incorporated into a number of commercial, research, and academic tools for medical simulation (see Pulse in action)