Realistic deformable phantoms with optical properties of biological tissues for biomedical research applications

Abstract

A matrix of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) slime phantoms was investigated to replicate the published optical properties of the lung carcinoma and tumorous brain tissues at 630 nm wavelength. The effective attenuation coefficients (µeff) and penetration depths of light in the tissue phantoms were deduced from measurements of its optical properties and the anisotropy factor (g), obtained using the Henyey-Greenstein (H-G) phase function and Wolfram Mathematica. The mechanical response of the fabricated phantom materials was characterized and found to be flexible and mouldable into shapes and sizes comparable to desired tissue types.In the context of accuracy and stability, the phantoms were monitored for over two months and managed to preserve their optical properties with inconsiderable changes, possibly due to dehydration. Further data analysis is required to clarify if the optical properties would significantly change for long periods. We conclude that the fabrication of deformable tissue phantoms capable of uniformly incorporating any inserted lesion-like objects with relatively available materials and clear procedure is realizable. These phantoms are promising for testing and calibrating new optical imaging systems and developing disease diagnosis and treatment techniques.

Keywords

• Optical properties
• Penetration depth
• Slime materials
• Tissue phantom