Test Phantom; a Scientific Device That Is Often Used In the Biomedical Research Community

Test phantom, also known as imaging phantom, is a specially designed object that is imaged or scanned in the field of medical imaging to evaluate, analyze, and tune the performance of various imaging devices. Medical phantoms are artificial tissue-equivalent materials used to replace human tissues to ensure that systems and methods used to scan or image human body are working appropriately. A test phantom is often used in medical imaging for quality control, dosimetry, equipment calibration, and education.

In the biomedical research community, medical test phantoms are used as stand-ins for human tissues to ensure that systems and methods for imaging the human body are operating correctly. Increased use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in radiotherapy has increased the demand for phantoms that provide tissue-like contrast in both MRI and computed tomography scans. Phantoms can also be used to compare CT-based clinical standards and MRI-based processes. Phantoms calibrate MRI machines that are traceable to standardized values.

Various test phantoms are available in the market, such as MRI test phantoms, CT test phantom, radiation oncology test phantom, ultrasound test phantom, and mammography test phantom. Each type of test phantom provides a variety of information about the body part being examined for treatment of injury or disease. Moreover, recent advances in test phantom provide a better non-invasive solution to identify various chronic diseases and their associated treatments. Thus, there is an increasing demand for test phantoms around the world.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Medical imaging is an integral part of healthcare industry, as nearly all the diagnostics and treatments are based upon the analysis provided by the imaging techniques. Test phantoms are used to view the human body to diagnose, monitor, or treat medical conditions.