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 T₂) which change drastically upon thermal coagulation, enabling its use for device characterization and treatment verification using simple T₂-weighted imaging techniques. The coagulation temperature of the phantom can be changed from 50-60 °C 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. T₂ relaxation measurements are provided as a function of temperature, along with T₂-weighted MR images to illustrate the visualization of heating patterns. A complete recipe for fabricating phantoms is provided.