Co-electrospun Axon-Mimicking Phantoms with Iron Oxide for Multimodal MRI

Motivation: Validating MRI techniques for neurological disorders with iron accumulation requires phantoms that accurately mimic both iron concentration and neural microstructure. Goal(s): Develop an axon-mimicking phantom with Fe3O4 to simulate iron deposition effects on DTI and T2/T2* mapping. Approach: Co-electrospinning created polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibers with varying Fe3O4 concentration. Microstructure and stability were characterized. DTI and T2/T2* mapping were used to assess its ability to mimic iron's effects. Results: The phantom, with excellent microstructure and properties, showed significant alterations in DTI metrics with increasing Fe3O4, consistent with neurodegenerative diseases. T2 and T2* mapping successfully simulated iron's magnetic susceptibility effects. Impact: This phantom offers a robust platform for validating DTI and T2/T2* MRI in iron-related neurological disorders. It enables realistic assessment of MRI methods, their sensitivity to pathological changes, and potential for improving disease diagnosis and monitoring.