Student Brothers Turn Ultrasound Course Volunteer Experience Into Medical Simulation Innovation

Nathan Yang, 19, and Aaron Yang, 14, reproduce an ultrasound-guided injection training model for an accepted ACR Convergence 2026 poster, then develop a portable, battery-powered upgrade.

ORLANDO — Two student brothers who spent years helping prepare hands-on rheumatology ultrasound courses are now contributing a teaching tool of their own. Nathan Yang, 19, a freshman at the University of California San Diego, and Aaron Yang, 14, an eighth grader at Paul Revere Middle School in Los Angeles, successfully reproduced an ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel injection training model as part of collaborative work accepted for poster presentation at ACR Convergence 2026, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, taking place November 6–11 in Orlando, Florida.

The poster, titled “An Ultrasound-Guided Injection Training Phantom With Integrated Feedback: Development and Multi-Institutional Validation” (Abstract No. 0542), is scheduled for presentation on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during the “Professional Education Poster A” session (Poster Session A). Nathan and Aaron are coauthors of the collaborative study, which describes the model’s development and successful independent reproduction at a second training program.

Building on that project, the brothers developed Phanta-C, a second-generation model designed to make the training system easier to transport, more durable, and more representative of the equipment used in clinical procedures. The upgraded model is scheduled to debut at the ACR ultrasound course during the annual meeting.

Nathan, who is majoring in environmental anthropology and hopes to become a physician, led the project’s electronics work. Aaron, who hopes to become an aerospace engineer, focused on programming and 3D printing.

From Preparing Teaching Stations to Building a Training Model

For many years, Nathan and Aaron have volunteered with the Southern California Rheumatology Society’s Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course. Their responsibilities have included making sure each hands-on station is prepared and functioning according to the session’s educational objectives.

For wrist ultrasound sessions, they help arrange appropriate table heights, ultrasound gel, drapes, and other supplies. For ultrasound-guided injection sessions, they prepared syringes, needles, trays, and procedural equipment. These experiences gave them opportunities to observe instructors teaching injection techniques and to become familiar with the equipment used in clinical training.

In early 2026, Janeth M. Yinh, MD, RhMSUS, a rheumatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, introduced a ballistic gel wrist model that provides real-time audio feedback during simulated ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel injections. Originally developed by engineering students at Northeastern University and introduced at the USSONAR multi-track course, the model combined 3D printing and basic engineering principles to create an affordable, reproducible training tool. It beeps when a learner’s needle contacts an incorrect structure.

Dr. Yinh was invited to share the project with Nathan, then a high school senior, and Aaron, then a seventh grader, to explore whether students at another institution could independently reproduce it.

Working together, the brothers successfully recreated the model. Their project demonstrated the feasibility of reproducing the training concept using basic engineering tools. This replication contributed to the collaborative work subsequently submitted to the American College of Rheumatology and accepted for poster presentation at ACR Convergence 2026. The accepted abstract reports that independent recreation at a second training program demonstrated the model’s reproducibility and transferability across institutions.

A Second Generation Designed for Practical Use

After reproducing the original model, Nathan and Aaron identified several opportunities for improvement. The breadboard-based electronics were fragile and difficult to transport. The system also depended on a laptop for power and programming, while its injection interface resembled a sewing needle rather than the medical syringe used during an actual procedure.

Nathan designed and assembled a printed circuit board, soldered an Arduino Mini microcontroller onto it, and integrated a battery power source. These changes replaced the breadboard setup and removed the need for a laptop during operation.

Aaron programmed the Arduino and designed and 3D-printed a protective enclosure for the electronics. Together, the brothers developed a medical syringe interface with an electrical connection to the circuit board, allowing learners to practice with a realistic syringe while receiving immediate audio feedback.

The user manual describes a modular system with a wrist module, an electronics box, and connected 3 cc and 5 cc syringes fitted with 22-gauge needles. The system operates on three AA alkaline batteries.

The brothers named their upgraded model Phanta-C, short for “Phantom for Carpal Tunnel Injection.”

Connecting Student Engineering With Clinical Education

The accepted poster describes the original training model’s development and multi-institutional validation, including the successful independent reproduction to which the brothers contributed. Phanta-C represents the next stage of their work: applying lessons from hands-on course preparation to improve the model’s portability, durability, and procedural realism.

The project illustrates how students with different interests—medicine and aerospace engineering—can collaborate on a shared educational challenge. It also highlights the potential for clinical educators and student builders to work together on practical, reproducible medical simulation tools.

Media Contact
Teri Arnold
Director, Public Relations & Communications
757-272-7002
tarnold@rheumatology.org

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About the American College of Rheumatology
Founded in 1934, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a not-for-profit, professional association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology that serves nearly 10,500 physicians, health professionals, researchers and scientists worldwide. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatology professionals are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases.

About ACR Convergence
ACR Convergence, the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, is where rheumatology meets to collaborate, celebrate, congregate, and learn. With hundreds of sessions and thousands of abstracts, it offers a superior combination of basic science, clinical science, business education and interactive discussions to improve patient care and advance the specialty. For more information about the meeting, visit the ACR Convergence page, or join the conversation on X by following the official hashtag (#ACR26).