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

• Published in: Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 14; p. 1521
• Main Authors: Elisei, Radu Claudiu, Graur, Florin, Melzer, Andreas, Moldovan, Sever Calin, Tiu, Calin, Popa, Calin, Mois, Emil, Pisla, Doina, Vaida, Calin, Ștefănescu, Horia, Coțe, Adrian, Al-Hajjar, Nadim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-07-2024
• Subjects: 3-D printers; Abdomen; Ablation (Surgery); Accreditation; Biopsy; Commercial printing industry; Computer software industry; Core curriculum; Evaluation; gelatin-based phantom; International economic relations; Laparoscopy; Learning curves; Liver; liver biopsy; liver mold; liver surgery; Magnetic resonance imaging; Open source software; Printing industry; Public domain; Surgeons; Temperature; Training; Ultrasonic imaging; ultrasound guided; United States; Romania; Minneapolis Minnesota; United States > US; Japan; gelatin-based phantom; image guided; diagnostic training; liver biopsy; ultrasound guided; liver surgery; training; liver mold
• ISSN: 2075-4418; 2075-4418
• DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14141521

Image-guided invasive procedures on the liver require a steep learning curve to acquire the necessary skills. The best and safest way to achieve these skills is through hands-on courses that include simulations and phantoms of different complications, without any risks for patients. There are many liver phantoms on the market made of various materials; however, there are few multimodal liver phantoms, and only two are cast in a 3D-printed mold.
We created a virtual liver and 3D-printed mold by segmenting a CT scan. The InVesalius and Autodesk Fusion 360 software packages were used for segmentation and 3D modeling. Using this modular mold, we cast and tested silicone- and gelatin-based liver phantoms with tumor and vascular formations inside. We tested the gelatin liver phantoms for several procedures, including ultrasound diagnosis, elastography, fibroscan, ultrasound-guided biopsy, ultrasound-guided drainage, ultrasound-guided radio-frequency ablation, CT scan diagnosis, CT-ultrasound fusion, CT-guided biopsy, and MRI diagnosis. The phantoms were also used in hands-on ultrasound courses at four international congresses.
We evaluated the feedback of 33 doctors regarding their experiences in using and learning on liver phantoms to validate our model for training in ultrasound procedures.
We validated our liver phantom solution, demonstrating its positive impact on the education of young doctors who can safely learn new procedures thus improving the outcomes of patients with different liver pathologies.