Gelatin-Based Tissue-Mimicking Materials for Breast Phantoms: Dielectric and Mechanical Characterization

In this paper, the mechanical properties of tissue-mimicking phantoms, produced and dielectrically tested to mimic breast tissues, are presented. Testing on phantoms represents one of the key steps in the process of realization of several devices and, for this reason, the interest towards the realization of more and more realistic phantoms, not only from the dielectric point of view but also from the mechanical one, is growing. In this work, tissue-mimicking mixtures, based on the use of low-cost, safe and easy-to-handle materials (water, oil, gelatin and dishwashing liquid), produced for the realization of breast phantoms have been tested under different measurement conditions. Stress-strain curves are reported and a first comparison with Young's moduli in the literature of gelatin-based phantoms produced for the same anatomical district is presented. This work represents a first step in the realization of increasingly realistic tissue-mimicking mixtures, which, among other things, may pave the way for new combined imaging modalities.