Earle Matthew, Portu Giuliano De, DeVos Elizabeth
University of Florida College of Medicine, 1600 SW Archer RD, PO Box 792, Gainesville, FL 32603, United States.
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine-Gainesville, 1329 SW 16th St (Suite 5270), Gainesville, FL 32603, United States.
Afr J Emerg Med. 2016 Mar;6(1):18-23. doi: 10.1016/j.afjem.2015.09.003. Epub 2015 Nov 27.
Ultrasound is a technique that can be utilised to augment procedures to increase their safety and efficacy, but requires that health professionals be trained to use this imaging modality before it can be implemented. With the extremely high cost of manufactured phantoms, homemade alternatives are popular substitutes. Gelatine is commonly used as a matrix to suspend analogues and mimic tissue, but other substrates like ground meat can also be used. Both of these substrates require refrigeration and are subject to spoiling. Our research was designed to evaluate whether agar models would be superior to traditional Gelatine models in their sustainability and whether they would produce ultrasound images adequate for training.
Agar models of varying formulas (percent agar by weight with certain additives varied) were tested for acceptable fidelity to real tissue, ultrasound image quality, and durability compared to gelatine models and human tissue.
A five percent by-mass agar model augmented with small amounts of suspended wheat flour presented as a model that could generate an ultrasound image that remarkably resembled that of real tissue. This agar model does not require refrigeration, is resistant to spoiling and desiccation, mimics tissue texture well, is durable enough to withstand high-volume training, and can be recycled to make new models.
Agar phantoms are easy to make, do not require refrigeration, and have multiple distinct advantages over gelatine models for ultrasound training in austere conditions.
超声是一种可用于增强手术过程以提高其安全性和有效性的技术，但在实施之前需要对卫生专业人员进行使用这种成像方式的培训。由于成品体模成本极高，自制替代品很受欢迎。明胶通常用作悬浮类似物和模拟组织的基质，但也可以使用其他基质，如绞肉。这两种基质都需要冷藏且容易变质。我们的研究旨在评估琼脂模型在可持续性方面是否优于传统明胶模型，以及它们是否能产生适合培训的超声图像。
将不同配方（按重量百分比添加特定添加剂的琼脂含量不同）的琼脂模型与明胶模型和人体组织进行比较，测试其对真实组织的逼真度、超声图像质量和耐用性。
添加少量悬浮小麦粉的5%质量分数琼脂模型所生成的超声图像与真实组织的图像非常相似。这种琼脂模型不需要冷藏，耐变质和干燥，能很好地模拟组织质地，耐用性足以承受大量培训，并且可以回收再制成新模型。
琼脂体模易于制作，不需要冷藏，在艰苦条件下进行超声培训时，相对于明胶模型具有多个明显优势。
