학술논문

T 1-mapping and dielectric properties evaluation of a 3D printable rubber-elastomeric polymer as tissue mimicking materials for MRI phantoms
Document Type
article
Source
Materials Research Express, Vol 7, Iss 11, p 115306 (2020)
Subject
3D printing
Magnetic resonance imaging
T1 relaxation time
Dielectric properties
tissue mimicking materials
Phantom
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
TA401-492
Chemical technology
TP1-1185
Language
English
ISSN
2053-1591
Abstract
In this study, a new series of 3D printable rubber-elastomeric polymer called PORO-LAY materials have been investigated regarding their suitability to serve as tissue mimicking materials (TMMs) for MRI phantoms. PORO-LAY materials have been previously used in biofuel cell developments, particle filtrations and modeling elastic tissues. We evaluated the electrical permittivity, electrical conductivity, spin-lattice T _1 -relaxation time and acquired the MRI contrast for simple and multi-material complex 3D printed shapes made of PORO-LAY materials at 3.0 T. The results showed a T _1 diversity within PORO-LAY materials, which reveals in different MR image contrasts. The outcome favors PORO-LAY as an appropriate candidate that can be used in multi-materials additive manufacturing to produce realistic shapes such as white/grey matter structures for MRI phantoms with visible clear contrast. Finally, this study could serve as a reference and guideline when using these materials as tissue mimicking materials for different types of human body tissues and provide a promising opportunity to design novel phantoms for a wide range of MRI applications.