A biventricular multimodal (MRI/ultrasound) cardiac phantom

A cardiac phantom can be of crucial importance in the development and validation of ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and image analysis methods. A biventricular multimodal cardiac phantom has been manufactured in-house that can simulate normal and pathologic hearts with different degrees of infarction. The two-chamber structure can simulate the asymmetric left ventricular motion. Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) is utilized as the basic material since it can simulate the shape, elasticity, and MR and ultrasound properties of the heart. The cardiac shape is simulated using a two-chamber acrylic mold. An additional pathologic heart phantom has been built to simulate aneurysm and infarction. Segmental dyskinesis is modeled based on three inclusions of different shapes and different degrees of elasticity. The cardiac elasticity is adjusted based on freeze-thaw cycles of the PVA cryogel for normal and scarred regions.