Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Biomedical Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Jensen, Morten
Abstract
Gel phantoms are commonly used in research settings due to their ability to mimic soft tissue. Creating these phantoms usually involves 3D printing an insert, embedding it in gel, and then washing the insert out. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is typically used as the insert material, but it often swells and deforms the gel during the washout process. Aquapour, a water-soluble material, was investigated as a potential replacement for PVA. Unlike PVA, Aquapour comes in a powdered form that can be mixed with water to create a castable slurry. To create molds to cast Aquapour, SolidWorks was used to design two models. The insert geometry that was desired was transected into two different models and 3D printed using PLA. Two different types of silicone molds were created, one with 10A shore hardness and another with 30A shore hardness. The softer silicone mold ended up not working as expected, so the harder silicone mold was used primarily. Trials were set up with low and high water factors, as well as low and high drying temperatures. From these trials, it was concluded that using a lower water factor and drying it at a lower heat worked the best for the Aquapour inserts. The main problem that had to be addressed was cracking during the drying process. To minimize the risk of cracking, air drying before oven drying was proven to be helpful. Allowing the insert to cool in the oven also prevented the risk of thermal shock. Overall, Aquapour has the potential to be a suitable replacement for PVA, but it may be suited to less complex geometries that have a lower risk of cracking.
Keywords
Gel phantoms; Bifurcation; Aquapour
Citation
Bloom, C. (2025). Insert Creation to Mimic Blood Vessels in Gel Phantoms. Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/bmeguht/162
