Working between 'catheter' and 'cardiogram'. 
No biomedical engineer can function in a learning or professional environment without a basic knowledge of medical terminology. However, because students at technical faculties are often reluctant to learn medical terms by heart, over the last five years, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the Technische Universitaet Dresden has developed learning software that enables the necessary medical terminology to be proactively acquired. This software is called "Labyrinthos". A number of other software programmes have also been built recently. With their help, students are able to improve their biomedical knowledge easily and in a practise-oriented way. The software collection can also be used by practising biomedical personnel, or even to provide patients with information.

"With the programmes "Imagos" for medical imaging, "Respiratos" for lung function diagnosis and mechanical ventilation, "Cerebros" for cerebral auto-regulation, "Kardios" for ECG and artificial pacemakers, and "Simulos" for the modelling and simulation of biomedical processes, we have covered most of the areas of knowledge relevant for work and study", says Dr Ute Morgenstern, who developed this learning concept, unique in Germany, principally for the benefit of biomedical engineers. Dr Morgenstern built up the software in stages, and now coordinates their implementation. A number of biomedical learning modules, offered to students of electrical engineering, mechatronics, information technology, physics, and industrial engineering, are now complemented with the "TheraGnosos" software package. In addition to multimedia theory components and interactive tutorials, it offers help with seminar work, in preparations for practical training courses, and test exercises for exams; an extensive glossary is also available.

The terminology course, with its associated "Labyrinthos" software, is already being used and extended by other universities, such as the Leibniz University in Hannover, and Prague University is planning to make a Czech translation. The Technische Universitaet Dresden is already distributing the software as shareware in German-speaking countries.

Dr Morgenstern will present the software package at "LearnTec", the 17th International Convention and Trade Fair for Educational Information, which takes place from 3rd to 5th of February 2009 in Karlsruhe, Germany. TU Dresden's biomedical workgroup "Learning Software" will be the only exhibitor from Saxony at the South Eastern German States' stand, which presents the work of universities from States across whole region.

Author: Martin Morgenstern

Information for journalists:
PD Dr.-Ing. Ute Morgenstern
Tel.: 0351 463-34228
Tel. at the stand: 0721 5164681
Mobile: 0162 6252317

http://tu-dresden.de/Members/ute.morgenstern/forschung_mo/ags/lernsoftware
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