Facilitation of bronchoscopy teaching with easily accessible low-cost 3D-printing

Abstract

BackgroundBronchoscopy is a challenging skill and anaesthesia and pulmonologist societies recommend simulation for practicing. AimThe goal of this project was to develop a bronchoscopy simulator that allows critical-event simulation at low costs. MethodsFollowing written informed consent, we processed a human computer-tomography scan and extracted information about the bronchial tree. We then printed two bronchial trees in a 3D-printer in two different materials: hard polyamide and flexible photopolymer. The simulators were coated with silicone for a realistic appearance. Two independent airway expert consultant anaesthesiologists assessed the face validity of the simulators when compared to humans and to a commercially available bronchial tree simulator. ResultsThe two airway experts agreed on face validity and the 3D-simulators were deemed as highly comparable to the human anatomy, representing the human trachea and bronchial tree more realistically than the commercially available simulator. However, the flexible 3D-printed simulator was not satisfactory because the flexible texture allowed for easy damage of the silicone coat. ConclusionWe have described a simple method to create a low-cost bronchoscopy simulator with high anatomic fidelity using 3D-printing. The simulator features the ability to simulate advanced bronchoscopy tasks.