Practise the biopsy before the patient.
PhantomLab manufactures realistic, low-cost 3D kidney phantoms for training doctors and students in ultrasound-guided biopsy. Made from a gelatin–agar mix, they look and respond under ultrasound much like real kidney tissue.
Kidney disease is common — and diagnosis often needs a biopsy.
Kidney biopsy is a key diagnostic procedure, increasingly performed under ultrasound guidance. Every clinician who performs it needs safe, realistic practice first.
people worldwide are estimated to have some form of kidney disease.
of adults have chronic kidney disease (10.4% of men, 11.8% of women).
people experience acute kidney injury every year.
Source: International Society of Nephrology, via NCD Alliance
Learning on patients isn't an option. Cadavers are scarce.
Ultrasound-guided procedures such as biopsy and drainage are increasingly used, but the tools to practise them safely are limited.
Cadavers are scarce and costly
Real anatomical specimens are hard to obtain and expensive to use for repeated practice.
Short shelf life
Many existing kidney phantoms degrade quickly, limiting how long they can be used.
High fabrication cost
Commercial phantoms can be too expensive for many training programmes to buy in quantity.
A realistic 3D kidney, made affordable.
Each PhantomLab phantom is a three-dimensional, static model of a mature human kidney, built from inexpensive and readily available materials.
Gelatin–agar mixture
Low-cost, easy-to-source materials that mimic soft tissue.
Tissue-like acoustics
Its measured acoustic properties are nearly the same as real human kidney tissue.
Realistic 3D anatomy
The shape of a mature human kidney, for true-to-life needle guidance.
Economically affordable
Designed so training programmes can buy enough phantoms for every learner.
Better than the alternatives for everyday training.
| What matters | Cadavers | Typical existing phantoms | PhantomLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Scarce | Available | Made from readily available materials |
| Cost | Expensive | High fabrication cost | Low-cost and affordable |
| Shelf life | Limited | Often short | Designed for repeated training use |
| Realism under ultrasound | Real tissue | Varies | Acoustic properties near real kidney |
Source: Fohely et al., Journal of Medical Ultrasound 30(1), 36–40 (2022). doi:10.4103/JMU.JMU_181_20
From first scan to confident needle.
- i.
Scan
Trainees locate the kidney phantom with a standard ultrasound probe.
- ii.
Plan
They identify the target region and plan a safe needle path.
- iii.
Guide
The needle is advanced under live ultrasound, just as in a real procedure.
- iv.
Repeat
Practice is repeated until the technique feels natural — with no risk to patients.
Built for the people who teach and learn.
Medical & imaging schools
Hands-on ultrasound skills for students before clinical placements.
Residents & doctors
Safe rehearsal of ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy and similar procedures.
Hospital training centres
Affordable phantoms for skills labs and workshops.
Medical imaging specialists who build tools.
Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences
PhantomLab was founded in 2022 by a research team from the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, combining medical imaging, ultrasound physics and hands-on fabrication.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kidney phantom?
A model that mimics a human kidney so clinicians and students can practise imaging and needle procedures without involving a patient.
What is it made of?
A gelatin–agar mixture: inexpensive, readily available materials that mimic soft tissue.
How realistic is it under ultrasound?
Its measured acoustic properties are nearly the same as those of real human kidney tissue, so it appears and behaves realistically on screen.
Which procedures can be practised?
It is designed for ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy training, and supports practice of related interventional skills such as needle guidance.
Why is it low-cost?
It is built from cheap, widely available materials with a simple fabrication process, unlike many commercial phantoms.
Built on open, peer-reviewed research.
Read the open-access study behind PhantomLab's low-cost realistic kidney phantom.
Fohely, F., Oglat, A. A., Sabarna, K., Shweiki, Z., Hamoudeh, B., & Shalaan, R. (2022). Fabrication of low-cost realistic three-dimensional static kidney phantom for ultrasound-guided biopsy applications. Journal of Medical Ultrasound, 30(1), 36–40.
https://doi.org/10.4103/JMU.JMU_181_20