3D Boundaryless Slab Phantoms

Motivation: Modern MRI phantoms rely on physical boundaries to prevent ionic diffusion of T1/T2 modifiers across compartments. Boundaryless phantoms would more accurately mimic the heterogeneity of human anatomy. Goal(s): Produce a stable, anatomically accurate, quantitative, and boundaryless brain phantom. Approach: Segment Brainweb1 data into white and gray matter tissues, 3D print positive molds, cast negative silicone molds, then fill the molds with doped UV-curable hydrogels. Results: We developed a process to create a boundaryless phantom of white and gray matter with stable T2 contrast using iron oxide nanoparticles. Impact: To address the need for quantitative phantoms with complex, anatomically accurate geometry, we developed stackable boundaryless slab phantoms by casting UV-curable hydrogels doped with a stable T2 contrast modifier. The phantoms represent roughly 40% of the top of the brain.