Work

Fabrication of a Stable, Low‐Cost, Patient‐Specific, Brain Phantom with Ventricles for Ultrasound Imaging

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Phantoms are a valuable step in the course of the 3R principle by reducing reliance on animal models in translational research from bench to bedside. In this work, an anatomically accurate brain phantom is developed for ultrasound diagnosis for presurgery applications, cerebrospinal fluid flow research in hydrocephalus, and many other transcranial diagnostic and treatment applications for medicine and research. A practical guide is designed to fabricate an affordable, easy‐to‐produce, long‐lasting, and patient‐specific brain phantom for ultrasonic applications. Materials for the fabrication of the phantom are polyvinyl alcohol cryogel combined with talc particles. Repeated steps of freeze‐thawing cycles enhance crosslinking between the polyvinyl alcohol molecules and ensure that the phantom achieves acoustic characteristics similar to human brain tissue. Open‐source magnetic resonance images (MRI) datasets serve for the extraction of the brain and ventricles geometries. After processing the patient‐specific MRI images, a high‐resolution 3D printer produces brain structures that are used for the creation of the negative brain mold with flexible silicone. Water‐soluble 3D material provides the ventricle cavity. The resulting brain phantom provides an anatomically accurate ventricular cavity, as observed in ultrasound scans, and similar tissue characteristics to the human brain.

Source: Advanced Engineering Materials

DOI: 10.1002/adem.202500278

Authors: Kajal Chandraprakash Jain, Ana Belen Amado Rey, Ana Carolina Gonçalves Seabra, Thomas Stieglitz

Institution: University of Freiburg

Language: English

Topic: Anatomy and Medical Technology

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,520