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TissueDB/Simulators/Urinary Catheterization Simulator (Gillis)

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Figure 1 by Gillis et al. 2020, CC BY 4.0 (Cureus 12(5):e8377).

The Urinary Catheterization Simulator (Gillis) is a low-cost 3D-printed model for undergraduate Foley catheter passage training.[1] It combines a water-fillable PLA bladder with a transparent acrylic front window and a screw-in valve at the bladder neck that reproduces the resistance of the internal urethral sphincter. A silicon urethral tube and soft Smooth-On silicone external genitalia complete the model, and the transparent window lets the learner watch catheter advancement and balloon inflation.[1]

Field Details
Features and Basic Operation The transparent acrylic window lets learners and instructors watch catheter advancement, balloon inflation, and seating in real time. The screw-in bladder-neck valve gives a modest resistance the authors liken to breaching the internal urethral sphincter, then releases water once the catheter passes. The soft silicone external genitalia can be gripped, retracted, and angulated during insertion, and the printed base is designed to accept future pathologic inserts such as a stricture or enlarged prostate.[1]
Current Development Status Third-party built and face-validity evaluated; not yet construct-validated.[1]
Estimated Build Time and Cost US$25 (estimated)
Specialized Tools and Equipment Ultimaker 3 fused-deposition-modelling (FDM) 3D printer for the PLA components (20 per cent infill, 0.2 mm layer height). Formlabs Form 2 stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer for the Grey Pro resin components.[1]
Version Second-generation iteration; incorporates feedback from the authors' first-generation 2019 design.[1][2]
Development Team Contact Information Charlie J. Gillis (corresponding author; charliejgillis@gmail.com), Department of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. Co-authors at Medical Education and Simulation, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the MUN Med 3d Laboratory, St. John's, Canada.[1]

Tissues

Tissue Qty Material Cost Notes
Bladder PLA-printed bladder body and base (1; reusable) Polylactic acid (PLA), FDM-printed — Holds water during catheter passage; the acrylic front window lets learners and instructors confirm catheter advancement past the valve, balloon inflation, and seating position visually.[1]
Urethra Silicon urethral tube (1 length; reusable until perforation) Silicon tubing; proximal end seats onto a curved barbed FDM-printed PLA connector at the Grey Pro valve — Sized to adult-male urethral parameters; the proximal seal to the valve is the path along which the catheter encounters the mechanical sphincter feedback.[1]
Penis Silicone external-genitalia cast (1; reusable) Silicone, cast for the external genitalia — Source material: Smooth-On 00-30 silicone (Shore 00-30 durometer), soft enough for the operator to grip, retract, and angulate the penile shaft during insertion; cast geometry is not parameter-quantified in the source.[1]


Structural Parts

Part Name Qty Material Cost Notes
One-way valve and threaded insert (SLA-printed) 1 each; print volume per unit not stated in source Formlabs Grey Pro SLA resin — The screw-in valve body sits in the threaded insert at the bladder base and provides the mechanical sphincter feedback during catheter passage.[1]
Front viewing window 1 piece per unit, cut to the bladder frontal aspect Clear acrylic sheet — Forms the transparent front window of the bladder for visual confirmation of catheter advancement and balloon inflation; brand or manufacturer not stated in source.[1]
Front-window sealant Quantity not stated in source Silicone caulking — Provides the watertight seal between the acrylic front window and the PLA bladder body.[1]
Assembly adhesive Quantity not stated in source Adhesive (type not stated in source) — Holds the SLA threaded fitting in the PLA bladder base and the FDM curved barbed connector in the Grey Pro valve body; type, brand, and quantity not stated in source.[1]


Build Instructions

The source paper describes the fabrication and assembly workflow at Gillis 2020 p.3 columns 1 to 2 (Materials And Methods).[1] Before beginning, gather the PLA filament, Smooth-On 00-30 silicone, Grey Pro SLA resin, a silicon urethral tube (dimensions not stated in source), 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) acrylic sheet, silicone caulking, and adhesive.

Phase 1: Print the PLA components on the Ultimaker 3

  1. Print the bladder body and integrated base on the Ultimaker 3 in PLA at 20 per cent infill and 0.2 mm layer height per the source-stated parameters.
  2. Print the small curved barbed urethral connector tube on the same FDM platform in PLA. This connector mediates the join between the screw-in Grey Pro valve body and the silicon urethral tube.

Phase 2: Print the SLA components on the Formlabs Form 2

  1. Print the threaded insert (the SLA-grade fitting that will be glued into the bottom of the PLA bladder) in Grey Pro resin on the Formlabs Form 2.
  2. Print the one-way valve body (the SLA-grade screw-in component that seats into the threaded insert and provides the mechanical sphincter resistance) in Grey Pro resin on the same platform.

Phase 3: Cast the external genitalia in Smooth-On 00-30 silicone

  1. Cast the external genitalia in Smooth-On 00-30 silicone over a prepared mould to produce the soft external structure of the simulator.

Phase 4: Cut and seal the bladder front window

  1. Cut the 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) acrylic sheet to the dimensions of the bladder frontal aspect.
  2. Place the cut acrylic sheet in the frontal aspect of the bladder so that catheter advancement and balloon inflation will be observable from outside the simulator.
  3. Apply silicone caulking around the acrylic-to-bladder interface to create a watertight seal.

Phase 5: Assemble the bladder valve, urethra, and external genitalia

  1. Glue the SLA-printed threaded insert into the bottom of the PLA bladder using the assembly adhesive.
  2. Screw the SLA-printed valve body into the threaded insert. The valve body now seats at the bladder neck and provides the mechanical resistance the operator will encounter when advancing a catheter from the urethra into the bladder.
  3. Glue the small curved barbed FDM-printed PLA connector into the bottom of the valve body using the assembly adhesive.
  4. Slide one end of the silicon urethral tube over the barbed connector. The barbed geometry secures the urethral tube to the valve body without an additional clamp.
  5. Integrate the Smooth-On 00-30 silicone external-genitalia cast with the urethral tube so that the meatus end of the silicon tube emerges through the external genital structure for learner access during catheter insertion.

For learner-facing setup, water-fill protocol, operation between learners, reset procedure, and stepwise procedural instruction (sterile-technique preparation, meatus identification and lubrication, Foley catheter passage along the urethra, valve resistance recognition, intravesical balloon inflation, urine-flow confirmation through the acrylic window), refer to the corresponding SELF Module for urinary catheterization training and to Gillis and colleagues 2020.[1]



References

[1][2]

  1. ↑ 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 Gillis CJ, Bishop N, Walsh G, Harvey D (2020). "Evaluation of a Novel 3D-Printed Urinary Catheterization Simulation Model in Undergraduate Medical Teaching." Cureus 12(5):e8377. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.8377. PMID: 32626621. PMC: PMC7328704. Published 31 May 2020 (received 31 March 2020, accepted 30 May 2020). License: CC BY 4.0. Department of Urology, Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada); Medical Education and Simulation, Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John's, Canada); Memorial University of Newfoundland MUN Med 3D Laboratory (St. John's, Canada); Department of Urology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (St. John's, Canada).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gillis C, Dubrowski A, Bishop N, Walsh G, Harvey D (2019). "Male catheter insertion simulation using a low-fidelity 3D-printed model in undergraduate medical learners." Dalhousie Medical Journal 45(2):19–22. DOI: 10.15273/dmj.Vol45No2.8998. Regional journal (not PubMed-indexed); first-generation predecessor design.




Simulator data
Alternative names Urinary catheterization simulator
Foley catheter trainer
MunMed3D urinary catheterization simulator

Property "SimulatorProcedure" (as page type) with input value "Urinary catheterization. The simulator supports undergraduate medical training in passage of a Foley catheter through the external urethral meatus, along the penile and bulbous urethra, past the external urethral sphincter, and into the bladder, with balloon inflation and stabilization once intravesical position is achieved.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' The mechanical valve at the bladder neck provides a modest resistance gradient that the source authors describe as "representative of breaching the internal urethral sphincter on a real patient."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"'" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.


Page data
Keywords urinary catheterization, Foley catheter, urinary catheterisation, 3D-printed simulator, urethral catheterization, PLA, polylactic acid, Ultimaker 3, Formlabs Form 2, SLA, stereolithography, Grey Pro resin, Smooth-On 00-30, silicone, silicone caulking, acrylic window, MunMed3D, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dalhousie University, Cureus, undergraduate medical education, pre-clerkship, face validity, learner self-report, 5-point Likert scale, internal urethral sphincter, mechanical resistance, balloon inflation, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, CAUTI, low-cost simulator, low-fidelity simulator
SDG
Authors Arturopelayo
License CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 7 pages link here
Views 3 page views (analytics)
Created May 13, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Last edit July 12, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Cite as Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Simulators/Urinary Catheterization Simulator (Gillis)". Appropedia. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
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