Investigation of a Phantom for Diffusion Weighted Imaging That Controlled the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Using Gelatin and Sucrose

Abstract

When studying diffusion weighted imaging(DWI), it is important to create a phantom that has a reliably controlled diffusion coefficient. In this study, we investigated phantoms to control both the diffusion coefficient and the T2-value by changing the concentration of gelatin or sucrose and MnCl₂, respectively. The results showed that the diffusion coefficient decreased linearly with increases in the gelatin or sucrose concentration, and decreasing of their relaxation times was observed. By properly adjusting the MnCl₂ concentrations, we were able to equalize the T2-values between phantoms having different gelatin or sucrose concentrations. Temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient was also revealed. This phantom can be made stable for a few months by adding a small amount of NaN₃ as an antiseptic agent, has a diffusion coefficient similar to that of neural tissue or clinical tumor, and is able to control the T2-value properly. We consider this phantom suitable for studying SE-type DWI and contributes to elucidation of this technique.