Development of a liver phantom for training in the diagnosis of metastases and ultrasound-guided insertion of intratissue ablation electrodes

Liver cancer is the sixth most common and fourth most fatal of all types of cancer. Interstitial thermal ablation, performed under ultrasound control, provides an effective method of treating it. This method involves introduction of electrodes into the area of metastases for destruction of diseased tissue. To train for this procedure, an anatomically accurate liver phantom containing multiple metastatic lesions, some located close to vessels, was developed. A computed tomography study was used as the basis for creating an anatomically accurate shape for the phantom. The phantom is made of durable, wear-resistant material and allows repeated insertion of electrodes. The speed of sound, the attenuation coefficient, and tissue stiffness in the phantom were 1564 m/sec, 0.32 dB/cm, and 3 Shore units respectively, which are close to the values of the human liver. This phantom may be of interest to educational organizations involved in training ultrasound diagnostic doctors with a focus on oncology.