# US 11,998,381 B2 · Heterogeneous multimodal breast phantom

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- Number: US 11,998,381 B2
- Document ID: US11998381B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/678,567
- Filed: 2022-02-23
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-23
- Assignees: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
- Applicants: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
- Inventors: Gameel Saleh; Budour Alfares; Aljohara Aljabr; Maryam Zainalabedin; Munthreen Almozain
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998381B2

## CPC

- A61B 6/583: {using calibration phantoms}
- A61B 6/502: {for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography}
- A61L 31/005: {Ingredients of undetermined constitution or reaction products thereof}
- A61L 31/028: {Other inorganic materials not covered by A61L31/022 - A61L31/026}
- A61L 31/042: {Polysaccharides}
- A61L 31/14: Materials characterised by their function or physical properties {, e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials}
- G01R 33/58: Calibration of imaging systems, e.g. using test probes {, Phantoms; Calibration objects or fiducial markers such as active or passive RF coils surrounding an MR active material}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A heterogeneous patient-based breast phantom that mimics the anatomy and properties of real breast tissues when screened with ionizing and nonionizing imaging modalities is described. The heterogeneous breast phantom includes a skin mimicking segment; an adipose tissue mimicking segment; a fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment; and a pectoral muscle mimicking segment wherein each segment is shaped and arranged such that the breast phantom represents a breast tissue. Performance of the breast phantom was characterized by mass attenuation coefficient, electron density and effective atomic number. Further, performance of breast phantoms was confirmed CT and breast MM machines.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heterogeneous breast phantom, comprising:
a skin mimicking segment that comprises polyvinyl alcohol and sugar;
an adipose tissue mimicking segment that comprises beeswax and agar;
a fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment that comprises glycerol; and
a pectoral muscle mimicking segment that comprises sugar and optionally comprises egg whites,
wherein each segment is shaped and arranged such that the breast phantom represents a breast tissue.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, further comprising a carcinoma mimicking segment that comprises sugar.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 2, wherein each segment further comprises water, a vegetable oil, a surfactant, and agar.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 3, wherein the vegetable oil is safflower oil.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 3, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 2, wherein the skin mimicking segment, the adipose tissue mimicking segment, the fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment, and the carcinoma mimicking segment each further comprise at least one type of scattering particles selected from the group consisting of NaCl, KCl, Al2O3, and SiC particles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 2, wherein sugar is present in the carcinoma mimicking segment in an amount of 20-25 wt % relative to a total weight of the carcinoma mimicking segment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein polyvinyl alcohol and sugar are present in the skin mimicking segment in amounts of 4-6 wt % and 27-35 wt %, each relative to a total weight of the skin mimicking segment.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein beeswax is present in the adipose tissue mimicking segment in an amount of 38-45 wt % relative to a total weight of the adipose tissue mimicking segment.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein glycerol is present in the fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment in an amount of 10-15 wt % relative to a total weight of the fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein sugar is present in the pectoral muscle mimicking segment in an amount of 22-28 wt % relative to a total weight of the pectoral muscle mimicking segment, and wherein egg whites, if present, are present in an amount of 2-8 wt % relative to a total weight of the pectoral muscle mimicking segment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein the skin mimicking segment has an electron density (ne) of 3.59E+23-3.61E+23 e−/g and an effective atomic number (Zeff) of 7.2-7.3
wherein the adipose tissue mimicking segment has an electron density (ne) of 3.17E+23-3.20E+23 e−/g and an effective atomic number (Zeff) of 6.3-6.4,
wherein the fibro-glandular tissue mimicking segment has an electron density (ne) of 3.15E+23-3.45E+23 e−/g and an effective atomic number (Zeff) of 6.9-7.4, and
wherein the pectoral muscle mimicking segment has an electron density (ne) of 3.40E+23-3.5E+23 e−/g and an effective atomic number (Zeff) of 8.1-8.3.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, which simulates the breast tissue under a medical imaging technique.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 13, wherein the medical imaging technique is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography scan (CT scan), or both.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein the adipose tissue mimicking segment comprises sodium chloride, deionized water, Triton X-100 surfactant, safflower oil, beeswax, agar, silicon carbide, and potassium chloride.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein the adipose tissue mimicking segment comprises 0.21 wt. % sodium chloride, 11.64 wt. % deionized water, 10.58 wt. % Triton X-100 surfactant, 33.32 wt. % safflower oil, 42.31 wt. % beeswax, 0.74 wt. % agar, 0.52 wt. % silicon carbide, and 0.68 wt. % potassium chloride, based on a total weight of the adipose tissue mimicking segment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein the adipose tissue mimicking segment has a mass attenuation coefficient approximately the same as a mass attenuation coefficient of a real adipose breast tissue in an energy range of 10 KeV to 150 KeV.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The heterogeneous breast phantom of claim 1, wherein the adipose tissue mimicking segment has a mass attenuation coefficient approximately within 5% of a mass attenuation coefficient of a real adipose breast tissue in an energy range of 10 KeV to 150 KeV.