Development of breast tissue-mimicking electrical and acoustic phantoms for magneto-acoustic electrical tomography

Magneto-acousto electrical tomography (MAET) is a novel medical imaging technique that relies on the difference in electrical properties between healthy and tumor tissues. To facilitate MAET experiments, this study proposes a comprehensive procedure for developing, characterizing, and preserving realistic breast tissue-mimicking phantoms. We developed nontoxic and inexpensive phantoms using sodium alginate, graphite powder, agar, propanediol, aluminum powder, glycine, and deionized water. The dielectric (conductivity and permittivity) and acoustic (speed of sound) properties of phantoms (breast fat, breast gland, and tumor) within the 1-8 MHz frequency range were measured to ensure their suitability for MAET experiments. In conclusion, this study presents a detailed methodology for the preparation, characterization, and preservation of realistic breast tissue-mimicking phantoms tailored for MAET experiments.