A new ultrasound tissue-equivalent material.

Two limitations on the animal-hide gelatin and graphite powder tissue equivalent (TE) materials are that they cannot be produced consistently with speeds of sound less than 1,570 m/s at room temperature (22 degrees C) and that irreparable damage can result if the materials are raised to temperatures above 32.5 degrees C. An acceptable substitute polysaccharide gel (agar) has a high melting point (78 degrees C) and can be made to exhibit speeds of sound over the range 1,498 m/s to over 1,600 m/s at 22 degrees C. Thus TE material made with agar is environmentally stable and can be manufactured to exhibit the important speed of sound, 1,540 m/s.