An anisotropic thermal phantom of perfused tissue

Abstract

Initial development and test of instruments for measuring anisotropic conductivity in vivo is difficult to carry out in animal models and would benefit from trials in a nonbiological physical model, a phantom. Here, a phantom that conducts heat anisotropically is described. The phantom also mimics the small-scale temperature nonuniformities that may be found near individual blood vessels. Design criteria, along with modeled and experimental results, are presented. Based on the analysis and experimental results, the time-dependence of the conductivity observed in living tissue is explained.<>