TissueDB/Materials/Balloon
License: Public domain by Hans Braxmeier
Balloons are cheap, thin-walled, elastic latex bladders — party and water balloons, and long twisting or modelling balloons (260Q) — sold in any party or grocery shop. In medical simulation they stand in for thin-walled, distensible structures: inflate one to approximate a hollow organ (gallbladder, bowel loop), segment or layer them as lung or cavity analogues, or cut one down to a small feature such as the umbilicus. They also serve non-tissue structural roles — compression targets, anchors and tubular parts. Their useful properties are compliance and volume change; because they tear on needle passage they suit distension, decompression and contact-feedback tasks rather than suturing.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallbladder | Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Simulator | Medium-size regular balloon, "ideally green" per the ALL-SAFE shopping list. That list enumerates materials only and assigns no anatomical roles.[1] | ||
| Lung | Brannan Chest Tube Simulator | Two punching balloons serve as lung analogues, inflated via a bag valve mask through a plastic-tubing "trachea".[2] | ||
| Bowel | Trocar Placement Simulator | Modeling balloon, inflated to simulate bowel; red lipstick applied to both sides; taped beneath the peritoneum layer.[3] | ||
| Umbilicus | Trocar Placement Simulator | A small balloon cut to the neck only; the neck is oriented away from the centre of the skin layer to simulate the umbilicus.[3] | ||
| (Structural — compression target, not tissue simulant) | Foley Catheter Tamponade Simulator | A ½" modeling balloon is inserted into the 4" PVC body as the internal compression target that the Foley catheter's own balloon presses against when inflated. The catheter's balloon is a clinical device, not this material. The build names no tissue-simulating material at all.[4] | ||
| (Structural — role not assigned in the source) | Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Simulator | Three modeling balloons (red, green, blue) are listed among the structural parts; the ALL-SAFE shopping list asks for "ideally one of each color" and names a drinking straw as the alternative. No anatomical role is assigned in the source.[1] | ||
| (Structural — fastener, not tissue simulant) | Pediatric Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair Simulator (Duboureau) | An elongated balloon is one of two equal-standing build options (the other a resistant elastic loop), knotted around the neck of the bottle and passed through a hole in its base to attach the two bottle parts together. The source gives it no anatomical role.[5] |
Troubleshooting
- Suturing practice — Balloon material tears on needle passage and cannot hold sutures.
- Training with latex-allergic participants — Latex proteins can trigger anaphylaxis.
- Procedures requiring wall thickness — Balloons are too thin to simulate vessel walls requiring needle passage or anastomosis.
- Contact with petroleum lubricants — Petroleum-based products degrade latex.
Alternatives
| Alternative | Best For | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking straw | Named in the ALL-SAFE shopping list as the alternative to the three modeling balloons in the Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Simulator; offered as a possible substitute, untested. | Rigid — no compliance or volume change, so it does not carry the distension and decompression tasks balloons are used for. |
References
[edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ALL-SAFE Consortium. Gallbladder Disease Simulation — "Shopping List": Materials Required for Gallbladder Disease Simulation Build. Appropedia: ALL-SAFE/Gallbladder Disease/Simulation.
- ↑ Brannan V, Dunne CL, Dubrowski A, Parsons MH (2021). "Development of a novel 3D-printed multifunctional thorax model simulator for the simulation-based training of tube thoracostomy." CJEM 23:547–550. DOI: 10.1007/s43678-021-00102-1. PMID: 33783760.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ALL-SAFE Consortium. ALL-SAFE Trocar Placement Simulation Build Instructions. Appropedia: ALL-SAFE/Trocar Placement/Simulation; PDF.
- ↑ CrashSavers. Hemostatic Foley Simulator — Step by Step Building Guide.
- ↑ Duboureau H, Renaud-Petel M, Klein C, Haraux E. Development and evaluation of a low-cost part-task trainer for laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia in boys and the acquisition of basic laparoscopy skills. Journal of Pediatric Surgery 2021;56(4):674–677. DOI 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.05.044. PMID 32631609. © 2020 Elsevier Inc., all rights reserved.
Synonyms
Common names: Balloon, balloons, latex balloon, modeling balloon, modelling balloon, modelling balloons
Forms: Round balloon, long balloon, small balloon, water balloon, punching balloon, twisting balloon, 260 balloon (modeling), catheter balloon
Regional terms: Ballon (French/German), Palloncino (Italian), Globo (Spanish), Ballon (Dutch)