Tissue-mimicking phantoms for longitudinal multimodality imaging studies (Conference Presentation)

Tissue phantoms that mimic the optical and radiologic properties of human or animal tissue play an important role in development, characterization and evaluation of imaging systems. Phantoms which are easily produced and stable for longitudinal studies are highly desirable. In this talk, we will review the fundamental and specific features of tissue phantoms required for optical spectroscopy, multimodality imaging, and surgical guidance. We will present several new types of long-lasting phantoms made from commercially available materials. The ease of fabrication, stability, and control over optical properties will be assessed, and the contrast properties in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and x-ray computed tomography (CT) will also be evaluated.