Durable Breast Phantom with Geometric and Mechanical Properties approximating Human Tissue for Ultrasound Image and Robotic System Testing

As robotic movement starts to play a larger role in medical procedures, like breast ultrasound collection, there is an increasing need for mechanically accurate and durable breast phantoms that still have effective imaging properties. In this paper we present a low cost, durable, and geometrically customizable phantom mimicking mechanical and ultrasound acoustic properties of human breast tissue. Unlike previous work, emphasis was placed on developing a highly flexible phantom with outer layer modulus 20 kPa and inner semi liquid layer of ultrasound gel to simulate the mechanical complexities of navigating human breast tissue with autonomous robotic systems. Additionally, resulting ultrasound images of the phantom with embedded tumor are comparable to in-vivo image of breast tissue with invasive ductal carcinoma, which represents 80% of breast cancer cases.