Development of Custom Wall-Less Cardiovascular Flow Phantoms with Tissue-Mimicking Gel

• Published in: Cardiovascular engineering and technology Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Laughlin, Megan E., Stephens, Sam E., Hestekin, Jamie A., Jensen, Morten O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-02-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arteries; Bifurcations; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Biomedicine; Blood flow; Blood vessels; Cardiology; Compression tests; Flow visualization; Heart; Human tissues; Humans; Imaging; Inserts; Mechanical properties; Original; Original Article; Phantoms, Imaging; Polyvinyl Alcohol; Straight channels; Three dimensional models; Three dimensional printing; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasonic testing; Ultrasonography; Tissue simulation; Blood vessels; Polyvinyl alcohol; Medical device testing; Flow phantoms; 3D printing; In vitro
• ISSN: 1869-408X; 1869-4098; 1869-4098
• DOI: 10.1007/s13239-021-00546-7

Purpose
Flow phantoms are used in experimental settings to aid in the simulation of blood flow. Custom geometries are available, but current phantom materials present issues with degradability and/or mimicking the mechanical properties of human tissue. In this study, a method of fabricating custom wall-less flow phantoms from a tissue-mimicking gel using 3D printed inserts is developed.
Methods
A 3D blood vessel geometry example of a bifurcated artery model was 3D printed in polyvinyl alcohol, embedded in tissue-mimicking gel, and subsequently dissolved to create a phantom. Uniaxial compression testing was performed to determine the Young’s moduli of the five gel types. Angle-independent, ultrasound-based imaging modalities, Vector Flow Imaging (VFI) and Blood Speckle Imaging (BSI), were utilized for flow visualization of a straight channel phantom.
Results
A wall-less phantom of the bifurcated artery was fabricated with minimal bubbles and continuous flow demonstrated. Additionally, flow was visualized through a straight channel phantom by VFI and BSI. The available gel types are suitable for mimicking a variety of tissue types, including cardiac tissue and blood vessels.
Conclusion
Custom, tissue-mimicking flow phantoms can be fabricated using the developed methodology and have potential for use in a variety of applications, including ultrasound-based imaging methods. This is the first reported use of BSI with an
in vitro
flow phantom.