TissueDB/Materials/Plastic Tubing
License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 by Ian-laurel
Plastic tubing is an inexpensive, flexible hollow tube — sold everywhere as aquarium tubing, IV and drip lines, silicone and vinyl hose, drinking straws, latex tourniquet tube, and Penrose drains — used in surgical simulation to stand in for hollow, fluid-carrying tissues such as blood vessels, the umbilical cord, the fallopian tube, ducts, and the urethra. It is the parent tubing class: the specific wall material (latex, silicone, vinyl, PVC) is the minor axis and the tube form is the main one, so builds that call for "latex tubing", "silicone tubing", "IV tubing" or a "Penrose drain" all belong here. A Penrose drain is the soft, flat-lying latex form: its smooth surface, uniform bore and gentle elasticity suit teaching placement, routing, fixation and spatial relationships rather than cutting or suturing realism. A length of tube is cut to size, routed through the model, and — where flow is wanted — connected to a pumped or gravity-fed fluid reservoir.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood vessel (aorta, iliac and common femoral arteries, vena cava and branch vessels) | Intra-abdominal Bleeding (Fernandes), REBOA (Keller), Synthetic Tourniquet Training Model (Souza Lima), Tourniquet Simulator, Wound Packing Simulator, Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Trainer, Hemorrhage Control (Malik), Vascular Anastomosis (Cubas), Cricothyrotomy Simulator (Kei) | Wherever the training goal is finding, compressing, cannulating or perforating a lumen rather than reproducing vessel-wall histology, a cut tube serves. By form and simulator: a latex tube (9 mm outer / 6 mm inner diameter) as the aorta, vena cava and branch vessels, ends occluded and fed from a squeezed (arterial) or gravity (venous) reservoir so trainees can tell arterial from venous bleeding (Intra-abdominal Bleeding, Fernandes);[1] latex tubing sized by segment — 2.5 cm inner diameter aorta, 1.3 cm iliac and femoral — on a pulsatile pressurised circuit that accepts a real 12 Fr sheath and CODA balloon and holds systolic 54–226 mmHg, with polyvinyl chloride tubing (1.3 cm inner diameter) on the pump inflow and outflow (REBOA, Keller);[2] a 1 m latex tube through a mannequin leg that a correctly placed tourniquet occludes to arrest pumped paint-and-water blood (Synthetic Tourniquet Training Model, Souza Lima);[3] a 5 mm latex hose (1 m) beneath PVC half-pipes, occluded by tourniquet pressure (Tourniquet Simulator); two 5 mm latex hoses carrying the pumped blood circuit for direct-pressure and wound-packing practice (Wound Packing Simulator); secondary / extension IV tubing (~30 cm) giving a patent lumen for catheter entry and flashback (Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Trainer); two IV-tubing lengths tunnelled through a goat or lamb hind leg proximal to each stab wound, fed from a red-dyed saline reservoir for venous and arterial bleeding (Hemorrhage Control, Malik); and a 15 cm × 2–3 mm plastic straw graft surrogate, discarded after each session, for end-to-end, end-to-side and side-to-side anastomosis practice (Vascular Anastomosis, Cubas). A length of intravenous (IV) starter-kit tubing, spiked into a 1 L bag of normal saline dyed with red food colouring, is slid into a superficial tunnelled incision about 0.5 cm beneath the pork-belly skin and directly under the cricothyrotomy line, so that it bleeds when the learner's scalpel cuts; the instructor controls the bleeding by squeezing the bag (Cricothyrotomy, Kei).[4] Tube walls are stiffer than a real vessel; thin-walled silicone or latex feels closest to arterial compliance. | ||
| Spermatic cord vessels and vas deferens | Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Simulator (Kurashima) | A Dobbhoff-type feeding tube cut to length; durable across repeated practice. Its small lumen and rolling tactile feel reproduce the firm rolling sensation of the vas during dissection.[5] | ||
| Fallopian tube | Laparoscopic Ectopic Pregnancy Simulator | A Penrose drain segment forms the tube body; the ends are slit (3–4 slits, approximately 1 cm) to make the fimbriae, and the body holds the ectopic mass. A small plastic glove is the source-named substitute where a drain is unavailable. Source: the ALL-SAFE Ectopic Pregnancy module build instructions. Carried from the former Penrose Drain page when it was folded into this class. | ||
| External iliac artery and External iliac vein | Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Simulator (Kurashima) | Latex Penrose drains (Sherwood Medical Company, St Louis, MO, USA) chosen for appropriate size and relative suppleness; arranged in correct anatomical configuration on the reusable inguinal anatomy and colour-tinted for source-described realism.[5] Carried from the former Penrose Drain page when it was folded into this class. | ||
| Bronchial tissue (carina and distal airway) | Cricothyrotomy Simulator (Kei) | A 15 cm piece of corrugated ventilator tubing duct-taped to the distal (inferior) opening of the 3D-printed trachea model and sealed at its open end with duct tape; the source states this "will serve as the carina". Two air vents — punctured with a scalpel and smaller than the diameter of a bougie — let the bag-valve-mask air the instructor delivers escape through the cricothyroid incision as the flash-of-air cue (Cricothyrotomy, Kei).[4] |
Simulation Requirements
Visual. A plain tube reads convincingly as a vessel or cord at arm's length: choose a diameter matching the target (roughly 2–3 mm for a small peripheral vessel, and up to ~25 mm inner diameter for the abdominal aorta) and a wall colour close to the tissue (translucent or red-tinted for vessels, pale for a cord). It does not reproduce the sheen, adventitia, or branching detail of a real vessel wall.
Tactile. The tube gives the hollow, roll-under-the-finger feel of a vessel and can be clamped, compressed, or perforated. Wall stiffness is the main limitation: most retail tubing (aquarium, IV, tourniquet) is firmer than a real vessel, so softer-walled silicone or thin latex tube feels closer to arterial compliance than rigid vinyl or PVC.
Functional. Where flow is needed, the lumen carries a pumped or gravity-fed fluid; one end is occluded and the other fed from a reservoir. Tube and connector fittings must hold the working pressure without leaking — the limiting factor at higher pressures (see the Keller REBOA circuit).
Feedback. Compression to arrest flow, and perforation to create a bleed point, are the main trainee-observable responses reported in the source simulators.
Troubleshooting
- Procedures needing true vessel-wall compliance or a realistic arteriotomy — Rigid or thick-walled tube (vinyl, PVC, aquarium hose) is far stiffer than a real artery and cuts unrealistically. Choose a thin-walled silicone or latex tube, or use a purpose-made cast-silicone vessel for suturing and anastomosis practice.
- Latex tubing with latex-allergic learners — Latex tourniquet tube is a common choice but is unsuitable where allergy is a concern. Substitute silicone or vinyl tubing of a similar bore.
- Leaks at the connectors under pumped flow — Tube-to-fitting joints, not the tube itself, are the usual failure point in a pressurised circuit; step the diameters with proper adapters and seal with tape, as the Keller and Foley builds do.
- Tube kinks or collapses when routed through tight bends — A tube with too thin a wall for its bore will pinch shut; use a slightly thicker wall or a larger radius where the tube turns.
- Fine suturing practice on a Penrose drain — The rubber surface does not approximate tissue cutting feel or suture holding. Clinical consequence: incorrect force calibration.
- Vessel anastomosis training on a Penrose drain — Wall thickness and compliance differ significantly from vascular tissue. Clinical consequence: incorrect needle angle and tension expectations. Use silicone tubing for vascular simulation.
- Cutting procedures on a Penrose drain — Penrose drains cut cleanly without tissue-like resistance. Clinical consequence: trainees do not develop appropriate tactile feedback for dissection.
Alternatives
| Alternative | Best For | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone tubing | Softer wall closer to real vessel compliance, and latex-free — the substitute where a learner has a latex allergy. Named by Hu et al. 2015 among the candidates weighed for vessel-ligation practice.[6] | Hu et al. weighed it against Penrose drain and intravenous tubing and chose a latex glove finger instead, as deformable enough to clamp and tie yet elastic enough to require steady tension.[6] No retail price is recorded in any source on file. |
| Latex tubing (incl. tourniquet tube) | Stretchy and easily occluded by external pressure; the most-used form across the source simulators — Fernandes (aorta and vena cava), Keller (REBOA circuit) and Souza Lima (1 m limb vessel).[1][2][3] | Latex-allergy risk, and it needs periodic replacement: across Fernandes' twelve validation runs the latex tubes and the peritoneal mesh were the only parts replaced, twice in total.[1] |
| Vinyl / PVC tubing | Holds its shape as a fixed conduit; Keller uses polyvinyl chloride tubing of 1.3 cm inner diameter on the pump inflow and outflow of the REBOA circuit.[2] | Wall far stiffer than a real vessel, so it cuts unrealistically and is used for plumbing rather than as a modelled vessel in every sourced build on this page.[2] |
| IV / drip line and drinking straws | Ubiquitous and small-bore. IV and extension tubing gives a patent lumen for catheter entry and flashback, and Cubas clips 15 cm × 2–3 mm plastic straws into the frame as the vessel surrogates that the trainee actually sutures. | Small fixed bore, too narrow for larger vessels, and the straw surrogates are discarded after each session. No retail price is recorded in any source on file. |
| Penrose drain | Larger vessel simulation; more compressible | Less uniform diameter; may kink |
| Balloon | Distensible luminal structures, where the wall needs to expand rather than hold a fixed bore | Different wall thickness and compliance from tube. Carried from the former Penrose Drain page when it was folded into this class. |
Used In Simulators
| Simulator | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intra-abdominal Bleeding Simulator (Fernandes) | Aorta, vena cava and branch vessels | Latex tubes carry simulated blood from reservoirs; perforating a chosen tube directs the bleed for haemorrhage-control practice.[1] |
| Synthetic Tourniquet Training Model (Souza Lima) | Limb blood vessel | A 1 m latex tube carries pumped simulated blood; correct tourniquet placement compresses it and stops the flow.[3] |
| REBOA Simulator (Keller) | Aorta, iliac and femoral arteries | Latex tubing (2.5 cm and 1.3 cm inner diameter) forms a pressurised endovascular circuit for femoral access and aortic balloon occlusion.[2] |
References
[edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fernandes CO, Rodrigues LR, Silva do Amaral MLBS, de Morais Rodrigues SJ, Marton-Filho MA. Low-cost simulator for intra-abdominal bleeding. Rev Col Bras Cir 2023;50:e20233512. DOI: 10.1590/0100-6991e-20233512-en. PMID 37971114. PMC PMC10618030.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Keller BA, Salcedo ES, Williams TK, Neff LP, Carden AJ, Li Y, Gotlib O, Tran NK, Galante JM. Design of a cost-effective, hemodynamically adjustable model for resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) simulation. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2016;81(3):606–611. DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000001153. PMID 27270855.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Souza Lima D, Almeida YADS, Cid DMC, Cardoso LC, Braga CS, Regis FGL. Low-cost synthetic tourniquet training model. Rev Col Bras Cir 2019;46(6):e20192324. DOI: 10.1590/0100-6991e-20192324. PMID 31967244.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kei J, Mebust DP, Duggan LV. The REAL CRIC Trainer: Instructions for Building an Inexpensive, Realistic Cricothyrotomy Simulator with Skin and Tissue, Bleeding, and Flash of Air. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2019;56(4):426–430. DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2018.12.023. PMID: 30685221.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kurashima Y, Feldman L, Al-Sabah S, Kaneva P, Fried G, Vassiliou M. A novel low-cost simulator for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Surg Innov 2011;18(2):171–175. DOI: 10.1177/1553350610395949. PMID 21307013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hu Y, Le IA, Goodrich RN, Edwards BL, Gillen JR, Smith PW, Schroen AT, Rasmussen SK. Construct validation of a cost-effective vessel ligation benchtop simulator. Journal of Surgical Education 2015 May–Jun;72(3):381–6. DOI 10.1016/j.jsurg.2014.11.003. PMID 25678049.
Overview
Plastic tubing is flexible hollow tube in a range of wall materials — latex, silicone, vinyl, PVC — and bores, sold as aquarium and drip line, IV tubing, tourniquet tube, and drinking straws. It is one of the most widely available and cheapest materials a builder can reach for: a functional length costs roughly USD 1–5, and a whole bulk roll of aquarium or vinyl tubing is typically under USD 15 at any hardware, aquarium, or pharmacy supplier worldwide. Indefinite shelf life if kept out of direct sunlight; latex grades harden and should be replaced periodically. Requires no cold chain, power or special handling and is stable at room temperature. Latex allergy: latex grades carry a latex-allergy consideration — silicone or vinyl tubing is the latex-free substitute. No dietary or cultural restriction applies.
Synonyms
Form variations / synonyms (all pointing to this class): IV tubing, IV tube, silicone tubing, silicone tube, vinyl tubing, vinyl tube, Silastic tubing, feeding tube, nasal cannula, plastic straw, latex tourniquet tube, Penrose drain, Penrose tube, Penrose drain tube, flat latex drain, latex strip drain, rolled latex drain, surgical drain.
Penrose forms: plain Penrose drain, gauze-wrapped drain, flat latex strip, sterile / medical-grade / latex-free grades, common widths 1/4", 1/2", 1", 2".
Wall materials: latex, silicone, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane.
International/regional terms: tubo de plástico / tubo de silicona (Spanish), tube en plastique (French), tubo de plástico (Portuguese), Kunststoffschlauch (German); drain Penrose (French), drenaggio Penrose (Italian), drenaje Penrose (Spanish), Penrose-Drainage (German).
Shelf Life & Storage
| Temp Range | Humidity | Surface Reuse | Shelf Life | Spoilage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room temperature; keep out of direct sunlight and UV | Dry, ambient | Reusable across many sessions; latex grades replaced periodically as they harden | Indefinite for silicone/vinyl/PVC; latex degrades over months to years | Latex hardening and cracking; wall discolouration under UV; connector fittings loosening with repeated flexing |
Clinical Context for Simulation
Hollow, fluid-carrying tissues — arteries, veins, the umbilical cord, ducts, the urethra — are defined for the trainee by their lumen, compliance, and the way they carry or arrest flow. A cut length of tube gives a builder those three properties cheaply: a lumen to cannulate or perforate, a wall to compress or clamp, and a conduit to pump fluid through. It is the workhorse stand-in wherever the training goal is finding, controlling, or accessing a vessel rather than reproducing its exact wall histology.
Related Materials
Latex Sheet (sheet form of the same rubber; distinct from tubing), Castable Silicone (for cast vessels where wall fidelity matters), PVC (rigid pipe form, used structurally rather than as a vessel).
| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/Plastic Tubing". Appropedia. Retrieved August 3, 2026. |