Creation of brain tissue-mimicking material and multi-material gradient 3D printer for magnetic resonance elastography phantom

DiMonte, Lela

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/72826 Copy

Description

Title

Creation of brain tissue-mimicking material and multi-material gradient 3D printer for magnetic resonance elastography phantom

Author(s)

DiMonte, Lela

Issue Date

2015-01-21

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Georgiadis, John

Department of Study

Bioengineering

Discipline

Bioengineering

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• 3D printing
• Magnetic resonance elastography
• Brain phantom

Abstract

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a non-invasive tissue imaging method that measures shear stiffness. While MRE has many benefits, it is not currently used clinically for scanning the human brain, mainly because it has not been validated with independent mechanical property testing methods. This project focused on the creation of a brain tissue-mimicking phantom that simulates both the chemical composition and mechanical properties of human brain tissue. Material development consisted of matching the lipid composition of the brain with alternate natural materials to formulate hydrocolloids (based on gelatin or carrageenan) that were both soft and stable at room temperature. The rheology of the mixture, including extrusion (flow) behavior and mechanical properties, was regulated by manipulating the hydrocolloid material composition. The stiffness of developed materials was tested with rheometry to verify that the stiffness matched that of brain white matter. Phantom development started with creating a 3D printer to extrude soft materials. The printer was further modified to print two materials separately or in mixed ratios so that stiffness could be varied within a print. A phantom was printed with a low- to high-stiffness gradient using a carrageenan-based hydrocolloid. Presence of the gradient in the phantom was then verified successfully with MRE.

Graduation Semester

2014-12

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/72826

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2014 Lela DiMonte

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