TissueDB/Materials/Ink or Dye
License: CC-BY-2.0 by Larry Jacobsen
Ink or dye is a colourant — liquid, gel, powder or paint — used in medical simulation to give a fluid or a model surface a realistic colour; in TissueDB builds, most often red to mimic blood. A dye is mixed into water or saline to make simulated blood, or added to a fluid circuit so that a leak becomes visible. A paint is brushed onto a model to colour anatomy, mark a landmark, or finish a surface. The many named colours, forms and brands are grouped as one material class because the colour is a detail of the same colourant, not a different material.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood | Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization Trainer, Hemorrhage Control Simulator (Malik), Synthetic Tourniquet Training Model (Souza Lima) | Red food colouring mixed into water or saline to make simulated blood. The Souza Lima tourniquet model instead uses red school paint: 250 mL is mixed with water to a near-blood consistency, held in a reservoir and pumped through the latex tubing inside the leg, so that it gushes at the simulated wound when the air pump is active.[1] |
Used In Simulators
| Simulator | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grapefruit dACA Bypass Simulator | Leak-indicator dye (not a tissue) | A few drops of food colouring in the ~250 mL water reservoir make an anastomotic leak visible during the water-leak check.[2] |
| Bronchoscopy Anatomical Trainer (Di Domenico) | Surface finish on a paper-mache model (not a tissue) | The inner surface of the paper-mache airway model is painted with water-based enamel, and the exterior is painted once the model has dried; the segmental bronchi are then labelled per the international classification.[3] |
| Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Simulator (Hanssen) | Landmark marking and vessel colour-coding (not a tissue) | White paint marks the pork chop's transverse process to represent Cooper's ligament; two 30 Fr polyethylene hoses are painted blue and red to represent the iliac vessels.[4] |
| Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernioplasty TAPP 3D Simulator (Pires de Melo Filho) | Anatomical colouring of a 3D-printed model (not a tissue) | The 3D-printed male pelvis is painted with gouache ink in anatomy-book colours, using two flat Condor brushes, to characterise the anatomical structures.[5] |
References
[edit source]- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Cikla U, Rowley P, Jennings Simoes EL, Ozaydin B, Goodman SL, Avci E, Baskaya MK, Patel NJ. Grapefruit Training Model for Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery Side-to-Side Bypass. World Neurosurgery 2020;138:39–51. DOI 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.02.107. PMID 32109640.
- ↑ Di Domenico S, Simonassi C, Chessa L. Inexpensive anatomical trainer for bronchoscopy. Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery 2007;6(4):567–569. DOI 10.1510/icvts.2007.153601. PMID 17669940.
- ↑ Hanssen A, Hanssen DA, Hanssen RA, Plotnikov S, Haddad J, Daes JE. Implementation and Validation of a Novel and Inexpensive Training Model for Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair. J Abdom Wall Surg 2022;1:10305. DOI 10.3389/jaws.2022.10305. CC BY 4.0.
- ↑ Pires de Melo Filho L, Mano Almeida A, Marçal de Barros Filho E, de Oliveira Borges GC. Simulated training model in a low cost for laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty. Acta Cir Bras. 2021;36(1):e360108. doi:10.1590/ACB360108. CC BY 4.0.
Overview
[edit source]Colourants are sold as liquids, gels and powders; the food-grade dyes used in simulation are inexpensive, non-toxic and available worldwide from grocery and craft retailers. Paints belong to this class too, and are bought from stationers, art suppliers and hardware shops. Documented uses in TissueDB builds are: red food colouring stirred into water or saline to make simulated blood; a few drops of food colouring in a water reservoir so that an anastomotic leak shows during a leak check; red school paint mixed with water as a pumped blood substitute; and gouache and water-based enamel brushed onto model surfaces to colour anatomy, mark a landmark or finish a model. No source specifies a mixing ratio for the dyes. Talcum powder is not part of this class — it has its own page, Talcum Powder.
Synonyms
[edit source]Folded child pages (all redirect here): Black Ink, Food Colouring, Food Coloring, Red Dye, Green Dye, Red Food Coloring, Green Food Coloring.
Common names: food colouring, food coloring, food dye, edible dye, edible colouring, colourant, red colorant, green colorant; India ink, Indian ink, Chinese ink, carbon ink, sumi ink; paint, school paint, gouache, gouache ink, water-based enamel.
Forms: liquid, gel, paste, powder, paint and concentrated colourant.
Regional names: colorante alimentario (ES), colorant alimentaire (FR), corante alimentar (PT), Lebensmittelfarbe (DE), 食用色素 (ZH), खाद्य रंग (HI), ملون غذائي (AR).
Clinical Context for Simulation
[edit source]Processing & Preparation
[edit source]Safety Considerations
[edit source]Related Materials
[edit source]| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/Ink or Dye". Appropedia. Retrieved July 25, 2026. |