Anthropomorphic Breast and Head Phantoms for Microwave Imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electromagnetics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Developing accurate anthropomorphic phantoms is crucial for testing microwave imaging systems.
• Existing phantoms may lack the stability or tissue-mimicking properties required for realistic medical applications.
• The COST Action TD1301-MiMed initiative highlights the need for standardized phantom testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create stable, detailed, and anthropomorphic breast and head phantoms using 3D printing and liquid mixtures.
• To enable safe and easy fabrication of phantoms for evaluating microwave imaging system performance.
• To validate the use of specific liquid mixtures for mimicking biological tissues in microwave frequencies.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of phantoms using 3D-printed structures and liquid mixtures with specific complex permittivities.
• Utilizing Triton X-100 and salted water-based liquid mixtures for tissue mimicking.
• Employing a binary fluid mixture model and minimization method to predetermine constituent concentrations for mimicking tissues.

Main Results:

• The developed phantoms accurately mimic the dielectric properties of biological tissues across a wide frequency band.
• The liquid mixtures effectively mimic various breast tissues and most head tissues.
• A method was established to predetermine the precise concentrations for tissue mimicking.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed and liquid-based phantoms offer a viable solution for testing microwave imaging systems.
• These phantoms facilitate realistic performance assessments for potential clinical applications.
• The established methodology allows for precise and reproducible phantom fabrication for medical imaging research.