Review of imaging test phantoms

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Physics

Background:

• Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is a hybrid imaging modality offering deep penetration, high resolution, and excellent optical contrast.
• PAT has significant applications in early cancer detection, functional brain imaging, drug delivery monitoring, and interventional procedure guidance.
• Test phantoms are essential for the development and commercialization of PAT technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze existing test phantom technologies for applicability to photoacoustic (PA) imaging.
• To understand how material properties, structural characteristics, and manufacturing methods of phantoms can be optimized for PA imaging.
• To propose a framework for developing advanced PA-capable phantoms.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of phantoms across various imaging modalities.
• Classification of test phantoms into three complexity categories (simple, intermediate, advanced).
• Identification of four structural sub-categories (tube/channel, block, test target, naturally occurring).

Main Results:

• A comprehensive classification system for PA test phantoms was developed.
• Proposals for novel PA-capable phantoms were generated, considering material, structure, and application.
• Considerations for material composition, structural design, and specific applications were outlined for each sub-category.

Conclusions:

• Advancements in PA test phantoms will significantly drive the commercialization and development of PA imaging.
• Refined test phantoms will facilitate the exploration of new applications and use cases for PA imaging.
• Optimized phantoms are key to unlocking the full potential of photoacoustic tomography.