Abstract
In this cardiopulmonary bypass simulation experiment, the venous blood reservoir level was classified into high(1,000mL), medium(500mL), and low(200mL), and its influences on operators' mental workload were examined, involving 6 clinical engineering students and using physiological, behavioral, and subjective indices.
No significant changes were observed in the coefficient of variation of R-R intervals, mean heart rate, or salivary amylase as physiological indices, or reaction time as a behavioral index. On the other hand, the mean weighted workload scores of the Japanese-version NASA-TLX as a subjective index significantly increased with a decrease in the reservoir level. Similarly, the mental and overall fatigue scores of the Brief Fatigue Inventory significantly increased with such a decrease.
Based on these results, decreased reservoir levels may be associated with an increase in the mental workload, as well as mental and general fatigue levels, and, therefore, it may be necessary to consider operators' mental workload when setting the reservoir level.
