CASE STUDY
Museum / Public Education & Interactive Exhibits
Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria
Dosing Pumps That Simulate the Human Heart
Interactive Heart Exhibit • Vienna, Austria • Equipment: Lutz-Jesco Magdos & Minidos A24
Project Details
- Client: Natural History Museum Vienna
- Industry: Museum / Public Education & Interactive Exhibits
- Location: Vienna, Austria
- Project Type: Dosing Pump Heart Simulation — Interactive Heart Exhibit
- Equipment: Magdos dosing pump (solenoid-driven diaphragm), Minidos A24 dosing pump (motor-driven diaphragm)
- Pulse Rates: 50 BPM resting, 70 BPM normal, 140 BPM stress
- Solution Partner: Water Treatment Supply
Project Overview
The Natural History Museum Vienna set out to help visitors understand one of the body’s most fundamental processes: how blood flow changes as heart rate increases. To bring this concept to life, the museum needed a precision dosing pump application capable of replicating the human heartbeat at multiple pulse rates in real time, in full public view, repeatedly, and without failure.
The result is a medical simulation dosing system that has become one of the museum’s most engaging exhibits.
Designing a museum interactive heart exhibit that accurately mimics human physiology presented a unique technical challenge — one with no margin for inconsistency. Standard pumping technology was not built for this kind of application. The museum needed a precision dosing pump application engineered for accuracy and consistency: the same qualities required in industrial water treatment, repurposed here to power an artificial blood circulation system.
The Challenge
Replicate Multiple Heart Rates Accurately
Resting (50 BPM), normal (70 BPM) and stress (140 BPM) pulses, each with distinct timing and intensity, had to be reproduced faithfully.
Generate Realistic Pulsation
The action needed to be rhythmic and pulsating — visually and audibly resembling an actual heartbeat, not just a steady fluid flow.
Operate Reliably Under Constant Public Use
The installation is triggered repeatedly throughout each museum day by visitors pressing pushbuttons, with zero tolerance for mechanical wear or dosing drift.
Maintain Dosing Precision at High Frequency
Particularly at 140 BPM, where even minor fluctuations in rhythm or volume would immediately undermine the realism of the simulation.
Our Solution
Lutz-Jesco supplied a combination of dosing pump technologies for this dosing pump heart simulation, each matched to the specific demands of the pulse rate it would simulate.
Matching the Pump to the Pulse
Magdos — Solenoid-Driven Diaphragm
Two Magdos units simulate the resting (50 BPM) and normal (70 BPM) pulse rates. Solenoid drive technology doses fluid without a direct mechanical connection between motor and dosing mechanism, alternating pressure and release in a way that naturally produces the rhythmic, clicking pulsation needed to mimic a heartbeat at lower frequencies.
Minidos A24 — Motor-Driven Diaphragm
For the stress pulse rate (140 BPM), engineers selected the compact Minidos A24. Its diaphragm-driven pumping action delivers high-precision, smooth performance even at elevated frequency — critical for maintaining consistent rhythm and volume where any fluctuation would be immediately noticeable to visitors.
Installation Configuration
The three dosing pumps sit behind a glass panel inside a wooden display case, connected via supply and discharge hoses to three narrow acrylic containers positioned above them. Visitors activate the system using three external pushbuttons, each corresponding to a pump and pulse rate.
Pressing a button doses a red, blood-like fluid into its container at 50, 70, or 140 pulses per minute, allowing direct, real-time comparison of how blood flow visibly changes as heart rate climbs — making the artificial blood circulation system both educational and tactile.
Equipment Configuration
| Pulse Simulated | Pump | Drive Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Resting — 50 BPM | Lutz-Jesco Magdos | Solenoid-driven diaphragm |
| Normal — 70 BPM | Lutz-Jesco Magdos | Solenoid-driven diaphragm |
| Stress — 140 BPM | Lutz-Jesco Minidos A24 | Motor-driven diaphragm |
| Fluid Handled | Red, blood-like simulation fluid | Dosed into acrylic display containers |
| Activation | Three external visitor pushbuttons | One per pump and pulse rate |
Results & Impact
The exhibit runs three distinct, accurately simulated pulse rates continuously, without mechanical wear or dosing inconsistency — an engineering result that turned a physiological concept into something visitors can operate with their own hands.
Three Pulse Rates, No Drift
Three distinct, accurately simulated pulse rates run continuously without mechanical wear or dosing inconsistency.
Realistic Rhythmic Pulsation
Solenoid and diaphragm drive technology deliver audible, lifelike pulsation, reinforcing the educational impact of the exhibit.
Reliable Under Public Interaction
The medical simulation dosing system withstands repeated, unsupervised activation by museum visitors throughout every opening day.
Precision Held at 140 BPM
Precise dosing is maintained even at the most technically demanding simulation point, with no drift in volume or timing.
Hands-On Educational Tool
An interactive tool that merges medical science with engineering precision, letting visitors experiment and learn in real time.
Before & After Comparison
| Parameter | Before Implementation | After Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse Rate Simulation | Not technically feasible with standard pumps | Accurately simulated at 50, 70 and 140 BPM |
| Dosing Consistency | N/A — no suitable equipment | Precise, stable dosing across all rates |
| Mechanical Wear | High risk with conventional drives | Minimised via solenoid / diaphragm technology |
| Visitor Interactivity | Limited | Real-time, button-activated comparison |
| Reliability Under Repeated Use | Unproven | Consistent performance under continuous public use |
Customer Benefits
Precise Heartbeat Simulation
The Magdos and Minidos A24 dosing pumps replicate heart rates from resting to stress pulse with technical accuracy, forming a reliable dosing pump heart simulation.
Durable, Reliable Technology
Solenoid and diaphragm drive systems ensure consistent dosing without mechanical wear, even under sustained public use — ideal for any precision dosing pump application.
Engaging Interactive Visualisation
Visitors control blood flow at the touch of a button, experiencing the physiological effects of changing heart rates firsthand through the interactive heart exhibit.
Looking for Precision Dosing Solutions for Your Application?
Water Treatment Supply offers dosing pumps, automation, and control equipment built for applications that demand accuracy and reliability — from industrial water treatment to specialised medical simulation dosing systems.
Whatever the fluid, frequency, or duty cycle, our team can help you specify a metering pump that holds its accuracy over the long run.