title: Wall-less flow phantom for high-frequency ultrasound applications.
abstract: There are currently very few test objects suitable for high-frequency ultrasound scanners that can be rapidly manufactured, have appropriate acoustic characteristics and are suitably robust. Here we describe techniques for the creation of a wall-less flow phantom using a physically robust konjac and carrageenan-based tissue-mimicking material. Vessel dimensions equivalent to those of mouse and rat arteries were achieved with steady flow, with the vessel at a depth of 1.0 mm. We then employed the phantom to briefly investigate velocity errors using pulsed wave Doppler with a commercial preclinical ultrasound system. This phantom will provide a useful tool for testing preclinical ultrasound imaging systems.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Electronic address: david.kenwright@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kenwright
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laverick
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hoskins
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004867:Equipment Design; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: High frequency; Preclinical ultrasound; Tissue-mimicking material; Ultrasound; Wall-less flow phantom