Development of a Three-Dimensionally Printed Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Phantom

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• 3D Printing in Medicine
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous catheter (US-PIVC) placement is crucial when traditional methods fail.
• Current training phantoms are often expensive commercial products or low-fidelity homemade alternatives.
• There is a need for realistic, reusable, and affordable training tools for US-PIVC procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a reusable 3D-printed phantom for US-PIVC training.
• To evaluate the utility of this 3D-printed phantom compared to a commercial model.
• To assess procedural time, perceived realism, and cost-effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A reusable upper extremity vascular phantom was constructed using 3D printing and casting.
• Emergency medicine physicians performed US-PIVC placements in both 3D-printed and commercial phantoms.
• Participants were timed, and their perceptions of realism were surveyed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean US-PIVC placement time between the 3D-printed (31s) and commercial (30s) models.
• The 3D-printed phantom showed a trend towards higher realism scores (3.6 vs. 3.1).
• The 3D-printed model was significantly more economical ($120 vs. $549 for the commercial model).

Conclusions:

• A reusable 3D-printed US-PIVC phantom was successfully developed.
• The 3D-printed phantom is a cost-effective alternative that does not compromise realism or procedural efficiency.
• This innovative phantom provides a valuable training resource for US-PIVC placement in emergency medicine.