Idea Exchange: A bear essential for school groups

As an educational tool for school groups, we created Bladder Bear, a stuffed bear that has what feels like a bladder full of uroliths. Students can palpate the bear's abdomen and then look at a radiograph we took of the bear to see what they're feeling. To create a Bladder Bear, make a hole in the back of a stuffed bear. In the hole, place a nylon stocking that contains dried kidney beans. Then sew the stocking into place, and sew up the hole.

Dr. Michele C. Ramseier

Ripon, Wis.