title: Poly(vinyl alcohol) gel ultrasound phantom with durability and visibility of internal flow.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Among various existing flow phantoms, none is characterized by appropriate acoustic, visibility, and durability properties simultaneously. The aim of this study was to develop a durable ultrasound phantom with visibility of the internal flow.
  
  
  METHODS
  Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel was chosen as the basic material. The acoustic properties of various PVA gels were measured with 40-MHz ultrasound, the compositions of PVA, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and glass microbeads being changed, while visually checking the transparency. Wall-less ultrasound flow phantoms with a straight channel 2 mm in diameter were made from PVA gel, and ultrasound B-mode imaging was conducted with blood-mimicking fluid flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acoustic properties of in vivo soft tissue were reproduced by PVA gel with a PVA concentration of 15 mass% and a glass microbead concentration of 2.9 mass% in a solvent of 98 mol% DMSO, showing acoustic properties of 1567 ± 4 m/s and 56 ± 5 dB/cm. The PVA gel was durable with visibility of the flow in the ultrasound phantom. The ultrasound B-mode image of the ultrasound flow phantom showed features approximating those of a mouse carotid artery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A durable PVA gel ultrasound phantom with visibility of the internal flow was developed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan. funamoto@reynolds.ifs.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funamoto
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aoba Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D005782:Gels; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol
keywords: Acoustic properties; Poly(vinyl alcohol) gel; Tissue-mimicking material; Ultrasound phantom