Anatomica: Engineering an Anatomical Model
Biomedical Engineering
Shibani Aich, Michael Caro, Jasmine Anne Francia, Erin Kispert, and Quince McLaws
Abstract
Precision Phantoms addresses the gap in medical device tuning and calibration by offering biomimetic phantoms made from solid gels with varying concentrations of electrical property modifiers as the foundational material that simulates the electrical properties of human tissues. These phantoms aid in accurate tuning and calibration of energy-based medical devices for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The market for anatomical phantoms is vast with gaps in clinical, educational and research applications within the physical medicine and device manufacturing industry. Manufacturers are continuously seeking realistic models to alleviate the reliance on living models and for better calibration of their new devices. Precision Phantoms bring value to the market by developing solutions that both mimic electrical properties of tissues and offering structural integrity–a key characteristic absent from existing medical phantoms on the market. This intelligent design is also a non-existent solution for low frequency ranges. The device consists of a 3-layered model that mimics electrical properties of skin, muscle and bone at frequencies below 100 MHz. This concept utilizes agar agar as the gelling agent, and the dielectric properties are tuned by incorporating permittivity and conductivity modifiers, such as salt, sugar and glycine. The solid gel design also allows for the hosting of probes and sensors for mapping of the electromagnetic fields at any point within the phantom. The design is reliable and easily replicable while making use of inexpensive and readily available materials and standard lab equipment. The fabrication process is straightforward and can be integrated into existing lab workflows. The manufacturing process is designed to keep overall expenses minimal.
