Phantom gels towards medicine improvement: uses for magnetic device tests and enhancements on magnetic-dependent clinical techniques

Abstract

A phantom is an especially designed material that should respond similarly to the desired human organ/tissue. Biomedical phantoms have a broad set of applications, from uses for magnetic device tests and enhancement of magnetic-dependent clinical techniques, to medical student training and complex surgery planning.Among the magnetic devices that could be tested are embolic particles, materials useful for hyperthermia treatments, and others employed in magnetofection therapy. These magnetic therapies are considered potential key solutions in malignant tumor and cancer treatments due to their relatively simple implementation and reduced secondary undesired effects. In this sense, the possibility to test novel magnetic devices on phantoms simulating real human organs/tissues opens up a vast area of possibilities.Magnetic resonance imaging, commonly known as MRI, is a useful diagnostic tool broadly applied for clinical diagnostic and scientific research. Certain phantoms could be used to study how to enhance MRI quality, increasing signal-to-noise-ratio.Taking into account the importance of ensuring the correct reproduction of the specific property or group of properties, such as morphological, mechanical, electric, and/or electromagnetic intrinsic characteristics of the human organ/tissue, selecting the appropriate materials and techniques is a real challenge. Many polymeric gels have been suggested as convenient materials capable of producing phantoms simulating thermal and mechanical behavior, and also permeability properties of human organs/tissues.