Abstract
•Cost-controlled production can enable accessible models with good quality in any non-chemistry lab.•The acoustical properties of silicone can be tuned by the addition silicone oil and thinning agents.•The ultrasonography phantom can also be utilized for needle biopsy as well as a palpation model.
A silicone-based composite breast phantom is fabricated to be used as an education model in ultrasonography training. A matrix of silicone formulations is tracked to mimic the ultrasonography and tactile response of human breast tissue. The performance of two different additives: (i) silicone oil and (ii) vinyl-terminated poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are monitored by a home-made acoustic setup. Through the use of 75 wt% vinyl-terminated PDMS in two-component silicone elastomer mixture, a sound velocity of 1.29 ± 0.09 × 103 m/s and an attenuation coefficient of 12.99 ± 0.08 dB/cm—values those match closely to the human breast tissue—are measured with 5 MHz probe. This model can also be used for needle biopsy as well as for self-exam trainings. Herein, we highlight the fabrication of a realistic, durable, accessible, and cost-effective training platform that contains skin layer, inner breast tissue, and tumor masses.