Teaching Radial Endobronchial Ultrasound with a Three-Dimensional-printed Radial Ultrasound Model

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation and Training
• Pulmonology
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Rising incidence of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) necessitates accurate diagnostic techniques.
• Radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) is crucial for PPL tissue diagnosis, but its efficacy depends on operator skill.
• Simulation training can enhance R-EBUS skills, yet specific simulators for this technique are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel 3D-printed, ultrasound-compatible simulator for R-EBUS training.
• To assess the simulator's utility in improving R-EBUS procedural performance.

Main Methods:

• Anatomically accurate 3D-printed airway models with simulated PPLs were created using CT imaging.
• Twenty-one participants were divided into intervention (pretraining with 3D model) and nonintervention groups.
• Procedural performance was evaluated using a standardized assessment tool after R-EBUS on the 3D models.

Main Results:

• The intervention group demonstrated a 26% improvement in performance on low-difficulty models (p=0.03).
• Significant improvement was observed in the intervention group for high-difficulty models, with a 52% performance increase (p=0.02).
• Pretraining with the 3D-printed simulator benefited participants regardless of their prior R-EBUS experience.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional printing is a viable method for developing effective R-EBUS training simulators.
• Simulation training using these 3D-printed models significantly enhances R-EBUS procedural skills.
• The developed simulator is beneficial for both novice and experienced clinicians, improving diagnostic capabilities for PPLs.