Modular Phantom Insert for Multi-Modal Imaging Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phantom systems for MPI are not suitable for using liquid contrast media, lack reproducibility, and are difficult to align with MRI or μCT systems due to anisotropic spatial resolution and geometrical distortion, limiting their multi-modal imaging capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A phantom system with a housing and plate-shaped insert elements that can be filled with liquid or powder contrast medium, sealed to prevent leakage or drying, and oriented in any direction, allowing for precise calibration and characterization of spatial resolution, image accuracy, and sensitivity across various imaging methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ad hoc phantoms made from filled tubes or polyacrylic are used, then the phantom can be constructed with defined spatial configurations, but the phantoms lack reproducibility and transferability, and liquid contrast medium can dry up due to absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The phantom system is divided into separate modular components: a housing structure and removable insert elements. Each insert element can be independently filled with contrast medium and then inserted into the housing, allowing for standardized, reproducible assembly while maintaining flexibility in contrast medium selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert elements are designed as disposable or replaceable components that can be filled, used, and discarded or refilled. This eliminates the problem of contrast medium drying up in polyacrylic phantoms, as each insert element is a self-contained unit that maintains its liquid content until use.
2Shape
If filled tubes are used to create spatial patterns, then the phantom can be shaped into desired configurations, but air bubbles are difficult to eliminate and design is restricted to spatial path patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The phantom is segmented into a housing and separate insert elements. The insert elements are pre-filled with contrast medium in controlled conditions, allowing for complete filling without air bubbles. Once filled, the sealed insert elements are inserted into the housing, maintaining the defined spatial configuration without the air bubble problems of tube-based approaches.
3Adaptability or versatility
If MPI-specific phantoms are used, then the phantom can be optimized for MPI measurements, but the phantom provides poor contrast in other methods such as MRI or μCT
Solution Approach 1:
The phantom housing and insert elements are designed with universal geometric features and materials that provide defined spatial configurations visible across multiple imaging modalities. The insert elements can be filled with contrast media that are visible in MPI, MRI, and μCT, allowing the same phantom structure to serve multiple imaging methods while maintaining measurement precision in each.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the phantom (different insert elements or different parts of insert elements) can be filled with different contrast media optimized for specific imaging modalities. This allows local optimization for MPI while maintaining visibility and contrast in MRI and μCT regions, enabling multi-modal characterization with a single phantom system.
4Quantity of substance
If liquid contrast medium is introduced into ad hoc phantoms, then the phantom can provide contrast for MPI measurements, but the spatial configuration is not well-defined and leakage or drying occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The phantom system segments the liquid contrast medium containment into separate, pre-filled insert elements. Each insert element is filled with a defined volume of contrast medium in a controlled manner, ensuring complete filling without air bubbles. The insert elements are then inserted into predefined positions in the housing, achieving well-defined spatial configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert elements are designed as disposable or replaceable containers that maintain their liquid content integrity. Each insert element is a self-contained unit that prevents leakage and evaporation, ensuring that the liquid contrast medium remains in its defined spatial configuration until the phantom is used and then can be discarded or refilled.
Data Source
AI summary
A phantom system has a housing (2) with a lower part (3) having an opening in the z-direction and a cover part (4) for closing the opening of the housing (2). A first plate-shaped insert element (10a) has at least one depression (11a) for receiving a liquid substance. The lower part (3) and the cover part (4) delimit a cavity (5) with an insert area (8), which is constituted to receive the first insert element (10a). A first sealing element (14a) seals the first insert element (10a) against the cavity (5) and a fixing facility fixes the first insert element (10a) in the cavity (4) of the housing (2) in an operating state of the MPI phantom. The phantom permits good contrast in MPI, MRI, or μCT using liquid contrast media.