A Novel Polymer Gel-Loading Phantom for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) polymer gel-loading phantom, called “\({\kappa}\)CNIPAM” in this study, was obtained by grafting N-isopropylacrylamide monomers onto \({\kappa}\)-carrageenan. Here, ammonium persulfate was used as a free radical initiator in the presence of N,\({N^{\prime}}\)-methylene-bis-acrylamide, which was used as a crosslinker. The macroscopic and morphological features of the gels were observed under a computer-controlled CCD camera and scanning electron microscope. Polymer gel structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Syneresis in the polymer-loading phantom was also explored. The polymer gel-loading phantom was used to evaluate enhancements in MRI quality using a practical MRI scanned image of a human palm. Results showed enhancements in signal-to-noise ratio.