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TissueDB/Simulators/Chest Tube Insertion Simulator (Bettega)

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3D-printed pink ribcage mounted in a pink, black, and white support frame, from Bettega 2019.
3D-printed rib framework of the Bettega chest tube simulator. Image by Bettega AL et al. (2019). CC BY 4.0.

The Bettega Chest Tube Insertion Simulator is a low-cost 3D-printed thoracic model for training closed chest drainage (tube thoracostomy). It combines a rib framework 3D-printed from a chest CT scan with internal layers that simulate the thoracic cavity and pleura, letting a trainee practise the full drainage procedure from skin incision to drain placement.[1]

Field Details
Features and Basic Operation Trains closed chest drainage (tube thoracostomy): a skin incision, blunt dissection into the pleural cavity, introduction of the index finger into the pleural orifice, and drain insertion to the mark. The 3D-printed ribcage preserves the chest's anatomical reference points, helping the trainee locate the correct drainage site.
Current Development Status Evaluated in a randomised controlled study against a porcine model: rated equivalent for procedural learning and preferred as didactic material, on participants' self-rated confidence and satisfaction scores. Clinical skill transfer was not assessed. The paper's own stated limitation is the subjectivity of the questionnaire items.
Estimated Build Time and Cost
US$133
Not stated in source
Specialized Tools and Equipment 3D printer; a computer with 3D surface-editing software; a chest CT scan as the source for the rib model.
Version Version 1
Development Team Contact Information Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Faculty of Medicine; Hospital do Trabalhador (General Surgery and Trauma Service); and Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Academic Department of Mechanics — Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil (Bettega AL et al., 2019). Mailing address: Ana Luísa Bettega (bettega.ana@gmail.com; silvaniaklug@gmail.com).

Related TissueDB chest-tube models: Man-O-War and Carter.

Tissues

Tissue Qty Material Cost Notes
Bone (ribs) 1 framework Not specified in source — 3D-printed rib framework from a chest CT scan. It gives the bony landmarks that orient the incision and the drain placement.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue 1 overlay Not specified in source — Outer soft-tissue layer that the trainee incises and dissects. The source scores the skin incision and the blunt plane divulsion as steps done on the simulator.
Pleura 1 cavity lining Not specified in source — Simulates the pleura and the thoracic-cavity space the finger and drain enter.




Build Instructions

Phase 1: 3D-print the rib framework

Step 1: Obtain a human chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Analyse the anatomy and edit the 3D surface faithfully to prepare the print model.

Step 2: Print the bony framework (ribs) of the thorax in 3D from the prepared model.

The source reports that a partnership with a university mechanical-engineering department produced the print, without dedicated funding. It does not report the printer, filament, slicing software, infill, layer height, print orientation, supports, or print time.

Phase 2: Form the thoracic cavity and pleura


Two photographs of the finished chest drain simulator: on the left the closed model with a cream skin and soft-tissue shell over the printed ribcage, and on the right the same model with the shell lifted to show a yellow inner layer and two pink inflated balloons standing in for the lungs.
Figure 2 — the finished model, called the SIM drain in the source. Left: closed, with the skin and soft-tissue shell wrapped over the printed cage, seen end-on so the ribs and cartilages show inside. Right: the shell lifted, showing the inner layer and the two inflated balloons that stand in for the lungs. The source does not name the materials of these layers. Image by Bettega AL, Brunello LFS, Nazar GA, Enomoto De-Luca GY, Sarquis LM, Wiederkehr HA, Foggiatto JA, Pimentel SK, Revista do Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões 2019;46(1):e2011; CC BY 4.0.

Step 1: Assemble the layers that simulate the thoracic cavity and pleura around the printed ribcage. Add the outer soft-tissue overlay that the trainee incises.

After printing the ribs, the source states only that "tests were performed with various materials that contributed to form the simulation of the thoracic cavity and pleura." It does not name the materials used. It does not give a step-by-step assembly procedure.




References

  1. ↑ Bettega AL, Brunello LFS, Nazar GA, De-Luca GYE, Sarquis LM, Wiederkehr HA, Foggiatto JA, Pimentel SK. Chest tube simulator: development of low-cost model for training of physicians and medical students. Revista do Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões. 2019;46(1):e2011. doi:10.1590/0100-6991e-20192011. PMID 30672976. Licensed CC BY 4.0.



Simulator data
Alternative names SIM drain (informal name used in the source paper)


Page data
Keywords chest tube, tube thoracostomy, closed chest drainage, 3D-printed ribcage, pleura, thoracic trainer, Bettega, low-cost simulator, TissueDB
SDG
Authors Arturopelayo
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 7 pages link here
Redirects TissueDB/Simulators/Bettega Chest Tube Simulator, TissueDB/Simulators/Chest Tube Simulator (Bettega)
Views 29 page views (analytics)
Created April 18, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Last edit August 11, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Cite as Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Chest Tube Insertion Simulator (Bettega)". Appropedia. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
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