TissueDB/Simulators/Bronchoscopy-Guided Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy Simulator (Kattan)
General Information
Bronchoscopy-guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (BG-PDT) creates a tracheostomy under live bronchoscopic guidance, an invasive airway procedure performed in the intensive care unit. This low-cost BG-PDT simulator lets a trainee practise the technique on an ex vivo bovine trachea and a synthetic skin pad mounted on a PVC-pipe frame, with a USB pipe-inspection camera used in place of the bronchoscope.[1]
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| General Information | Aimed at intensive-care physicians and trainees. Commercial BG-PDT simulators are expensive and not widely available, which motivated this hardware-store build. Direct source: Kattan et al. 2019, Simulation in Healthcare.[1] |
| Features and Basic Operation | An ex vivo bovine trachea and a commercial 3-layered synthetic skin pad mounted on a PVC-pipe frame, with a USB pipe-inspection camera used as a bronchoscope analogue. Two people operate it: one manipulates the camera to provide the bronchoscopic view, the other performs the tracheostomy.[1] |
| Current Development Status | Assessed for construct and face validity in a single-centre study; not clinically validated.[1] |
| Estimated Build Time and Cost | About US$30 in fixed materials, plus about US$4 per use for consumables.[1] |
| Specialized Tools and Equipment | USB pipe-inspection camera (7 mm diameter, 5 m cable; DFast, Santiago, Chile) used as the bronchoscope analogue (about US$20), connected to a laptop or monitor that displays its view. The procedure itself is performed with a commercial Ciaglia Blue Rhino percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy kit; its cost is not given in the source, which prices only the simulator's own materials.[1] |
| Version | Not stated in source. |
| Development Team Contact Information | Eduardo Kattan, Magdalena Vera, Francisca Putz, Marcia Corvetto, Rene De la Fuente and Sebastian Bravo; Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Correspondence: Sebastian Bravo (dr.bravo@gmail.com).[1] |
Tissues
| Tissue | Qty | Material | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trachea | 1 | Ex vivo bovine trachea | ~US$1.7/use | The mammalian trachea the operator palpates and punctures; provides the tracheal-ring landmarks. One specimen allows 6 iterations.[1] |
| Skin | 1 | Synthetic skin pad (3-layered; Training & Competence, Santiago, Chile) | ~US$2.2/use | Stands in for the skin and subcutaneous tissue overlying the trachea that the operator works through. One pad allows 9 iterations.[1] |
Structural Parts
| Part Name | Qty | Material | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic cutting board | 1 | Plastic cutting board | ~US$5 | Structural base the whole assembly is built on.[1] |
| Small PVC half-pipe | 1 | PVC pipe | ~US$1 | Trachea cradle; drilled with four holes that take the zip ties holding the trachea.[1] |
| Big PVC half-pipe | 1 | PVC pipe | ~US$3 | Body frame placed over the small half-pipe; a window is cut in it for access to the insertion site.[1] |
| Screws | 8 | Screws | ~US$1 | Anchor points the skin pad is stretched over and fixed to: five in the cutting board, three in the big half-pipe.[1] |
| Zip ties | 2 per procedure | Zip ties | ~US$0.1/use | Fasten the trachea to the small half-pipe with enough tension to prevent horizontal traction without collapsing it.[1] |
| Foam spacer (conditional) | 1 | Foam (type and dimensions not stated in source) | — | Used only if a gap remains between the trachea and the skin pad; placed between the small half-pipe and the trachea to raise it for correct assembly.[1] |
Build Instructions
Phase 1: Build the frame base
- Cut a PVC pipe (4 cm diameter, 2 mm wall) lengthwise to make a 10 cm half-pipe — the trachea cradle.[1]
- Cut a second PVC pipe (10 cm diameter, 4 mm wall) lengthwise to make a 24 cm half-pipe — the body frame — and clip an 8 × 8 cm window in it to expose the insertion site.[1]
- Drill four 5 mm holes in the small half-pipe, each 1 cm from its edges, to accept the zip ties.[1]
- Fix the small half-pipe to the 20 × 30 cm plastic cutting board.[1]
- Verify: the small half-pipe is firmly mounted and the four zip-tie holes are clear.
Phase 2: Mount the trachea
- Obtain a 20 cm ex vivo bovine trachea (from below the larynx to the carina).[1]
- Thread two zip ties through the drilled holes and fasten the trachea to the small half-pipe, with enough tension to stop horizontal traction during the procedure without collapsing the trachea.[1]
- Place a foam spacer between the small half-pipe and the trachea if a gap remains once assembled, to raise the trachea for correct assembly.[1]
- Verify: the trachea is held firmly, is not collapsed, and sits high enough to meet the skin pad.
Phase 3: Add the body frame and skin
- Place the big half-pipe over the small half-pipe and trachea, with the window over the working area.[1]
- Drive five 2.5 cm screws into the cutting board and three into the big half-pipe; these serve as anchor points for the skin.[1]
- Lay the 15 × 30 cm synthetic skin pad (6 mm thick, 3-layered) in direct contact with the trachea.[1]
- Stretch the skin pad and fix it to the screws around the cutting board and the big half-pipe, with enough tension to hold the PVC tubes, skin, and trachea in position.[1]
- Verify: the skin pad is taut, the trachea is palpable through it, and the assembly is stable.
Phase 4: Set up the camera
- Connect the USB pipe-inspection camera (7 mm diameter, 5 m cable) to a laptop computer.[1]
- Pass the camera into the trachea to emulate the live bronchoscopic view; during the procedure a second operator manipulates it to provide real-time guidance.[1]
- Verify: the camera shows a clear view of the tracheal lumen on the laptop.
Reassembly between uses
Loosen the zip ties, reposition the trachea 2.5 cm inferiorly, and reinstall the skin 2.5 cm away so that previously punctured areas stay out of the working space. Each trachea allows 6 iterations and each skin pad 9; reassembly takes about 5 minutes.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 Kattan E, Vera M, Putz F, Corvetto M, De la Fuente R, Bravo S (2019). "Design and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Bronchoscopy-Guided Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy Simulator." Simulation in Healthcare 14(6):415–419. DOI: 10.1097/SIH.0000000000000399. PMID: 31804426.
| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Bronchoscopy-Guided Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy Simulator (Kattan)". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026. |