Liver Phantoms Cast in 3D-Printed Mold for Image-Guided Procedures

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Medical Education Technology
• 3D Printing in Medicine

Background:

• Image-guided liver procedures demand extensive training.
• Hands-on courses with phantoms are crucial for skill development without patient risk.
• Existing liver phantoms are limited, with few being multimodal or 3D-printed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, multimodal 3D-printed liver phantom.
• To provide a safe and effective training tool for image-guided liver interventions.
• To enhance the learning curve for medical professionals performing liver procedures.

Main Methods:

• Created a virtual liver and 3D-printed mold from CT scan segmentation using InVesalius and Autodesk Fusion 360.
• Fabricated silicone and gelatin liver phantoms with internal tumor and vascular structures.
• Tested phantoms across various diagnostic and interventional procedures (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and utilized them in international congress training courses.

Main Results:

• Evaluated feedback from 33 physicians on phantom usability and training effectiveness.
• Demonstrated the phantom's utility in training for ultrasound-guided procedures.
• Validated the 3D-printed liver phantom as a valuable educational tool.

Conclusions:

• The developed liver phantom solution is validated for medical education.
• The phantom positively impacts the training of young doctors in liver procedures.
• Safe skill acquisition using the phantom leads to improved patient outcomes for liver diseases.