An open-source ultrasound training phantom costing around £5 to make. A reusable 3D-printed housing, agar gel, and simple balloon targets provide an inexpensive way to practise ultrasound-guided procedures, with scope to adapt the design for more complex anatomy.

Overview

The People’s Phantom combines a reusable PETG housing with replaceable agar-based gel and water-filled balloon targets. It was developed to make ultrasound-guided vascular access teaching affordable and reproducible with a 3D printer and readily available materials.

The phantoms have been used for resident doctor and IMT teaching at North Devon District Hospital and shared with neighbouring departments and regional trusts. Later designs explore anatomical targets made from segmented CT data and models for other ultrasound-guided procedures.

Designs and fabrication

The designs and fabrication files are released into the public domain. The project write-up describes the materials, construction, and teaching experience.