Development and Characterisation of Clinically Relevant Tissue Mimics for an Ultrasound Drug Delivery Phantom

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) can be used for therapeutic applications, by exploiting the thermal and mechanical effects induced in tissue. Knowledge of the acoustic, thermal and cavitation properties of tissue and tissue mimicking materials (TMMs), which display the properties of different soft tissues, is essential for experimental evaluation of therapeutic US. Furthermore, the use of TMMs to create a US drug delivery phantom, will help in understanding the modalities and physical effects of cavitation. The first two chapters of this thesis will review the current knowledge about therapeutic US, characterisation techniques for relevant acoustic and thermal properties of tissues, and the need for TMMs and phantoms, and potential candidates for these. The thesis will then focus on TMM development, and the methodologies used here for acoustic, thermal and cavitation property characterisation of tissue and TMMs, moving on to the results and their discussion. The sixth chapter will focus on the design, development and set up of a US drug delivery phantom. The final chapter will summarise the overall work and give conclusions, and suggest potential future work