Development of breast-mimicking phantoms for use in optical coherence elastography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Optical coherence elastography (OCE) maps tissue mechanical properties with microscale resolution.
• Existing phantoms lack accuracy in replicating complex tissue structures for OCE validation.
• Accurate phantoms are crucial for clinical applications, especially in breast cancer diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the impact of tissue-like structures on elastogram formation using phantoms.
• Develop and characterize phantoms mimicking invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and breast ductal networks.
• Provide a controlled environment for validating OCE in complex tissue scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Fabricated breast tissue-mimicking phantoms using 3D-printed molds and silicone casting.
• Utilized optical coherence tomography and ductography for structural information.
• Created IDC-mimicking phantoms and duct-mimicking phantoms (hollow and fluid-filled).

Main Results:

• IDC phantom replicated structures <100 μm, showing strain concentrations at tissue interfaces.
• Duct phantoms exhibited distinct mechanical responses: sharp discontinuities (hollow) vs. gradual transitions (fluid-filled).
• Phantoms accurately reproduced structural and mechanical properties of breast tissue.

Conclusions:

• Developed a methodology for fabricating advanced breast tissue-mimicking phantoms.
• Phantoms enable controlled investigation of OCE performance and tissue architecture effects.
• These phantoms are valuable for understanding elastogram formation at tissue interfaces.