Natural ballistic gelatine ultrasound phantoms are suitable to be used for student education and can be produced cheaply and effectively

Henry Phillips, Chantelle Franklin, Jacqueline Brearley, Mark Holmes, Marie-Aude Genain

Background: Ultrasonography is an important skill for veterinary students, but practical training on live animals is often difficult. Ultrasound phantoms are models that mimic tissue and structures, allowing simulation of ultrasound scans and procedures.

Study: The authors created three ultrasound phantoms for veterinary student training using natural ballistic gelatine, a material that resembles soft tissue in terms of density, viscosity, and elasticity. The phantoms were a vascular model, a bladder model, and a liver parenchyma model. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of these models against current teaching methods at the University of Cambridge.

Methods: Thirteen fourth-year veterinary students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: model scanning, self-scanning, or no training. Each group completed an OSCE-like task of locating the bladder in a live dog and adjusting the machine settings to get an optimal image. The students were assessed by trained final-year students using a global rating scale. The students also completed a questionnaire on their confidence and experience with the training materials.

Results: The students who trained with the models performed significantly better than the students who received no training, and similarly to the students who self-scanned. The students who trained with the models also reported higher confidence, ease of use, and usefulness of the training materials than the other groups. The models produced realistic images and were durable, reusable, and cost-effective.

Limitations: The study had a small sample size and low statistical power. The students had different levels of prior experience and abilities in ultrasonography. The teaching dogs varied in size, coat, and bladder fullness. The assessment task was limited to one organ and one procedure.

Conclusions: The natural ballistic gelatine ultrasound phantoms are suitable for student education and can be produced cheaply and effectively. They provide a realistic and practical simulation of ultrasound scanning and procedures. The models could be incorporated into student teaching and expanded to include more organs and species.

Disclaimer: The summary generated in this email was created by an AI large language model. Therefore errors may occur. Reading the article is the best way to understand the scholarly work. The figure presented here remains the property of the publisher or author and subject to the applicable copyright agreement. It is reproduced here as an educational work. If you have any questions or concerns about the work presented here, reply to this email.