Wall-less vascular poly (vinyl) alcohol gel ultrasound imaging phantoms using 3D printed vessels

TY - GEN

T1 - Wall-less vascular poly (vinyl) alcohol gel ultrasound imaging phantoms using 3D printed vessels

AU - Xia, Wenfeng

PY - 2019/1/1

Y1 - 2019/1/1

N2 - Vascular phantoms are crucial tools for clinical training and for calibration and validation of medical imaging systems. With current methods, it can be challenging to replicate anatomically-realistic vasculature. Here, we present a novel method that enables the fabrication of complex vascular phantoms. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in two forms was used to create wall-less vessels and the surrounding tissue mimicking material (TMM). For the latter, PVA cryogel (PVA-c) was used as the TMM, which was made from a solution of PVA (10% by weight), distilled water, and glass spheres for ultrasonic scattering (0.5% by weight). PVA-c is not water soluble, and after a freeze-thaw cycle it is mechanically robust. To form the wall-less vessels, vessel structures were 3D printed in water-soluble PVA and submerged in the aqueous solution of PVA-c. Once the PVA-c had solidified, the 3D printed PVA vessel structures were dissolved in water. Three phantoms were created, as initial demonstrations of the capabilities of this method: a straight vessel, a stenosed (narrowed), and a bifurcated (branched) vessel. Ultrasound images of the phantoms had realistic appearances. We conclude that this method is promising for creating wall-less, anatomically realistic, vascular phantoms.

AB - Vascular phantoms are crucial tools for clinical training and for calibration and validation of medical imaging systems. With current methods, it can be challenging to replicate anatomically-realistic vasculature. Here, we present a novel method that enables the fabrication of complex vascular phantoms. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in two forms was used to create wall-less vessels and the surrounding tissue mimicking material (TMM). For the latter, PVA cryogel (PVA-c) was used as the TMM, which was made from a solution of PVA (10% by weight), distilled water, and glass spheres for ultrasonic scattering (0.5% by weight). PVA-c is not water soluble, and after a freeze-thaw cycle it is mechanically robust. To form the wall-less vessels, vessel structures were 3D printed in water-soluble PVA and submerged in the aqueous solution of PVA-c. Once the PVA-c had solidified, the 3D printed PVA vessel structures were dissolved in water. Three phantoms were created, as initial demonstrations of the capabilities of this method: a straight vessel, a stenosed (narrowed), and a bifurcated (branched) vessel. Ultrasound images of the phantoms had realistic appearances. We conclude that this method is promising for creating wall-less, anatomically realistic, vascular phantoms.

KW - 3D printing

KW - Phantoms

KW - poly(vinyl alcohol)

KW - ultrasound

KW - vessels

KW - wall-less

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064383212&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1117/12.2510033

DO - 10.1117/12.2510033

M3 - Conference contribution

VL - 10870

BT - Design and Quality for Biomedical Technologies XII

A2 - Vargas, Gracie

A2 - Liang, Rongguang

A2 - Pfefer, T. Joshua

A2 - Hwang, Jeeseong

PB - SPIE

ER -