World of Phantoms: Reference Standards for Bench to Breast MRI

We have developed a method for making agar phantoms for MRI that mimic human tissue in terms of theirrelaxation pathways, including T1, T2, and T2*, and other magnetic interactions. Here, we describe a unique approach to developing air bubble-free phantoms that are sensitive to changes in scanner performance. Phantoms with varying concentrations of agar (0-3%) and Omniscan (0-1 mM) solutions were made, and the T1 and T2 values of these phantoms were determined. In addition, fat was suspended in an irregular pattern so that the phantom more accurately mimicked the breast. Here, we describe phantoms designed for two different applications. The first type of phantom can be used forperiodic quality assurance to evaluate overall scanner function. The second type is a unique soft phantom, and is designed for attachment to the breast or other areas of the body so that it can be scanned in the course of each clinical protocol