Multi-modality tissue-mimicking phantom for thermal therapy

A tissue-mimicking phantom material has been developed for use with thermal therapy devices and techniques. This Material has magnetic resonance properties (primarily T-2) which change drastically upon thermal coagulation, enabling its use for device characterization and treatment verification using simple T-2-weighted imaging techniques. The coagulation temperature of the phantom can be changed from 50-60degreesC by adjusting the pH from 4.3 to 4.7. The energy absorption properties can be adjusted to match the acoustical and optical properties of tissues. T-2 relaxation measurements are provided as a function of temperature, along with T-2-weighted MR images to illustrate the visualization of heating patterns. A complete recipe for fabricating phantoms is provided.