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Published on: August 22, 2018
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Birefringent tissue-mimicking phantom for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography imaging
Shuang Chang1, Jessica Handwerker1, Giovanna A Giannico2
1Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashvil, United States.
Journal of Biomedical Optics
|January 22, 2022
Summary
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) can be fabricated into birefringent phantoms for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). These phantoms mimic tissue birefringence, aiding in realistic phantom development.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Materials Science
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Tissue birefringence is crucial for realistic tissue-mimicking phantoms.
- Limited material options exist for accurately representing tissue scattering and birefringence.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce a method for fabricating birefringent tissue phantoms using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
- Enable imaging of these phantoms with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT).
Main Methods:
- Characterized stretch-induced birefringence in PDMS phantoms with varying curing ratios.
- Compared PDMS phantom birefringence values with those of biological tissues.
Main Results:
- Achieved induced birefringence levels up to 2.1 × 10⁻⁴ in PDMS.
- Demonstrated PDMS phantoms mimic weakly birefringent tissues.
- Developed PDMS phantoms to differentiate normal and diseased bladder wall layers based on birefringence.
Conclusions:
- PDMS offers controllable birefringence, scattering, and thickness for phantom fabrication.
- PDMS is a versatile material for creating tissue-mimicking phantoms.
- Applications extend to other birefringence imaging systems and organs beyond PS-OCT and bladder imaging.
