A Cost‐effective, Gelatin‐Based Phantom Model for Learning Ultrasound‐Guided Fine‐Needle Aspiration Procedures of the Head and Neck

Abstract

ith the rise in popularity of ultrasound imaging, the demand for effective training tools has exponentially increased. Ultrasound models, or phantoms, are widely popular for facilitating the learning of hand-eye coordination needed for ultrasound imaging and ultrasound-guided procedures. Unfortunately, many available ultrasound models are expensive and have limited life spans. 1 Gelatin is frequently used to create phantoms because of its ease of use and low cost, and gelatin models have been used in fields such as anesthesiology, pain management, general surgery, and medicine. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] For the otolaryngologist, as well as other providers treating head and neck disorders, ultrasound in an invaluable tool for visualizing head and neck structures. It provides an inexpensive, radiationfree way to visualize the airway, identify tumors, assess thyroid nodules, and guide fine-needle aspiration of the salivary glands, lymph nodes, and thyroid. 14,18-20 However, similar to other fields of medicine in which ultrasound is used, training tools for head and neck procedures can be expensive and difficult to acquire. With this factor in mind, we developed 2 simple gelatin-based phantom models that can be used for instruction on fine-needle aspiration technique for the head and neck. TECHNICAL INNOVATIONThe rise in popularity of ultrasound imaging has seen a corresponding increase in demand for effective training tools such as phantom models. They are especially useful for teaching and practice of invasive procedures, such as fine-needle aspiration of lesions of the head and neck. We have created 2 gelatin models out of inexpensive, commonly available materials that can be used in sequence to learn head and neck fine-needle aspiration. Fundamental skills can be learned first on the flat, rectangular model, whereas the second, cylindrical model more closely represents human anatomy and can be used to develop more advanced technique.

Desarrollo de un modelo de bajo costo de punción tiroidea y pauta de evaluación para su entrenamiento

“…En el mercado existen simuladores para punción tiroidea, pero su elevado costo (alrededor de 2,760 USD) limita su uso. 19 En la literatura médica se encuentran otros modelos publicados, [16][17][18] donde se reporta el uso de éstos u otros materiales en combinación con tejidos ex vivo. Sin embargo, aún no se ha desarrollado un programa costo-efectivo para ejercitar esta competencia.…”

“…10,11 La evidencia actual sustenta que las habilidades aprendidas en simulación pueden ser transferidas a la práctica clínica. [12][13][14][15] Si bien existen modelos para este entrenamiento en la literatura [16][17][18] y en el mercado, 19 éstos son aún perfectibles respecto de su costo efectividad para permitir el entrenamiento seriado de alumnos.…”

Development of a patient‐specific atrial phantom model for planning and training of inter‐atrial interventions

“…Moreover, a clear definition/identification of the inter-atrial septal wall was also achieved, reinforcing the appropriateness of the proposed phantom model for inter-atrial wall interventions. Although gelatin-based phantom models have been widely described for different scenarios, 30,31 its application for this specific model was not possible due to its mechanical properties (high viscoelasticity and low stiffness). Similar to the post-processing evaluation experiment (Section 3.A), a comparison between the data extracted from the US and the ideal model was also performed.…”

Transthoracic ultrasound-guided biopsy in the hands of chest physicians – a stepwise approach

“…To our knowledge, no phantoms or simulators have been presented in US-TTNB. Looking at other ultrasoundguided biopsy training programs, several phantoms have been created, for example, gelatin blocks with embedded lesions [30][31][32]. However, a disadvantage in these homemade phantoms is, that they are all static, whereas in US-TTNB the lungs are moving synchronously with the patient's respiration.…”