DIY US Phantom Recipes and Gel
DIY Ultrasound Training Resources
You've already spent enough money on machines, instructors, and other resources. Spending hundreds on additional commercial phantoms is likely the last thing you want to do. There are a number of ultrasound phantom recipes/resources out there, from gelatin, to tofu, to food-grade chicken breasts, to your own hand. Rather than invent the wheel, we'll share the best of the best!
Phantom Recipes
Zedu – Comprehensive Phantom Recipe List
Perhaps the most comprehensive list of phantom recipes was compiled by the premier ultrasound educators down under. Zedu has pretty much anything you need here.
Visit Zedu →5minSono – SonoInstructables Series
5minSono has some very well-crafted phantom recipes as part of their SonoInstructables Series.
Visit 5minSono →IV Phantom Recipe
Ultrasound phantoms allow you to simulate the musculature, tissue planes and vessels, affording new ultrasound learners the opportunity to practice IV placement without causing discomfort to the patient. This phantom will allow for the simulation of tissue planes and the look and feel of real human tissue. The Phantom typically lasts 25–50 needle insertions. Cost: about $10. Time to create: about 10 minutes.
DIY Ultrasound Gel
If you are tired of always picking up a near-empty bottle of ultrasound gel… make your own — as much as you need and only when you need it! This recipe from the Journal of Special Operations Medicine describes the use of a dietary supplement powder to create a homemade ultrasound gel. One teaspoon yields a full bottle of gel, no cooking required, and the image quality was validated as near equivalent to commercial gel!