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Development and Comparative Evaluation of Low-Cost Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia Phantom Models
Melikşah Soylu1, Mustafa Azizoğlu2
1Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Aksaray Education and Research Hospital, Aksaray 68200, Turkey.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Low-cost ultrasound phantoms made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel and plastisol offer realistic tissue simulation for regional anesthesia training. These affordable alternatives provide comparable imaging performance and tissue realism to expensive commercial models.
Area of Science:
- Medical Simulation
- Ultrasound Training
- Materials Science
Background:
- Regional anesthesia training relies on phantom models, but commercial options are costly, limiting accessibility.
- Developing cost-effective, realistic phantom models is crucial for widespread surgical training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate low-cost phantom alternatives using Ecoflex, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with borax, and plastisol for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia training.
- To compare the imaging properties and tissue realism of these novel phantoms against a commercial reference model.
Main Methods:
- Materials evaluated included Ecoflex, PVA hydrogel (with 20g borax), and plastisol, compared to a Blue Phantom commercial model.
- Ultrasound imaging properties assessed: needle visibility, tissue resistance, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and axial full width at half maximum (FWHM).
- Qualitative assessments by experienced evaluators and a long-term usability study (1+ year) with 20 participants were conducted.
Main Results:
- PVA hydrogel (20g borax) and the commercial Blue Phantom showed the highest tissue realism scores, with no significant difference between them.
- Plastisol and PVA (20g borax) demonstrated excellent needle visibility and tissue resistance, with imaging performance comparable to the commercial model.
- Costs for novel materials ranged from $0.5 to $2.50 per 100 mL, significantly lower than commercial models ($45 per 100 mL).
Conclusions:
- Affordable materials like PVA and plastisol can effectively simulate human tissue for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia training.
- PVA-based hydrogels show potential for sustained usability over time, offering a practical solution for resource-constrained settings.
- These findings support the development of accessible, high-fidelity training tools to enhance clinical skill acquisition.
