Gelatin-Based Head Phantoms: A Practical Guide for Artificial Brain Signal Research

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Human subject involvement in biomedical device development poses ethical and practical challenges.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are variable and sensitive to movement and emotional states.
• Accurate tissue-mimicking phantoms are crucial for developing reliable biomedical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create phantoms that accurately mimic the electrical conductivity of human head tissues.
• To develop a cost-effective and efficient method for fabricating head phantoms.

Main Methods:

• Optimized phantom compositions using various materials like gelatin, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and silver nanopowder.
• Fabricated and characterized 116 rat head size phantoms (RHSPs) for electrical conductivity.
• Developed a regression equation in Python to fabricate a human head phantom (HHP).

Main Results:

• Successfully developed conductive polymer-based phantoms with electrical properties comparable to cranial tissues.
• The fabricated human head phantom (HHP) demonstrated electrical conductivity consistent with human skull tissues.
• Generated artificial EEG brain waves using the OpenBCI platform and conducted brain simulations with LORETA.

Conclusions:

• The developed phantoms are suitable for electroencephalography (EEG) electrode and cap applications.
• The study provides a framework for economical and efficient fabrication of single- and multilayer head phantoms.
• This research facilitates safer and more ethical development of biomedical devices by reducing reliance on human subjects.