A Low-Cost, Durable and Re-Usable Bladder Phantom: Teaching Intravesical Ultrasound Contrast Administration

Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography (ceVUS) is a radiation-free and highly sensitive examination for detecting vesicoureteral reflux and imaging the urethra in children. This examination is performed with ultrasound and intravesical administration of a gas-filled microbubble US contrast agent. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of a US contrast agent for ceVUS in children. Because of the growing interest among physicians and US technologists in using ceVUS in children, a urinary bladder phantom was developed to teach intravesical ultrasound contrast administration to perform ceVUS procedures. Described here are the preparation and utility of a low-cost, durable and re-usable phantom that simulates the administration, distribution and effects of different US parameters on US contrast agent appearance in the bladder during ceVUS in children.