The Role of Anthropomorphic Phantoms in Diagnostic Ultrasound Imaging for Disease Characterization

An anthropomorhic phantom is an object that can mimic a region of the human anatomy. Anthropomorphic phantoms have a variety of roles in diagnostic ultrasound. These roles include quality assurance testing of ultrasound machines, calibration and testing of new imaging techniques, training of sonogra...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIP conference proceedings 2009-04, Vol.1119 (1)
Main Authors: Cannon, L. M., King, D. M., Browne, J. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENTS
ACOUSTIC MICROSCOPY
AGAR
ANIMAL TISSUES
ATTENUATION
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
CALIBRATION
DENSITY
ELASTICITY
HUMAN POPULATIONS
MATERIALS SCIENCE
PHANTOMS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
SOUND WAVES
ULTRASONIC WAVES
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Summary:An anthropomorhic phantom is an object that can mimic a region of the human anatomy. Anthropomorphic phantoms have a variety of roles in diagnostic ultrasound. These roles include quality assurance testing of ultrasound machines, calibration and testing of new imaging techniques, training of sonographers, and--most importantly--use as a tool to obtain a better understanding of disease progression in the relevant anatomy. To be anthropomorphic a phantom must accurately mimic the body in terms of its ultrasonic and mechanical properties, as well as anatomically. The acoustic properties are speed of sound, attenuation, and backscatter. The mechanical properties are elasticity and density. Phantoms are constructed from tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs). TMMs are prepared from a variety of ingredients, such as gelatine, agar, safflower oil, and glass beads. These ingredients are then boiled and cooled under controlled conditions to produce a solid TMM. To determine if the TMM has the correct acoustic properties, acoustic measurements are performed using a scanning acoustic macroscope. Mechanical measurements are also performed to test the elasticity and density properties. TMMs with the correct properties are subsequently put through a series of moulding procedures to produce the anthropomorphic phantom.
ISSN:0094-243X
1551-7616
DOI:10.1063/1.3137792