Filament Suggestions that are ultrasound/echogencic

[Mandalorian]

Hello everyone. Newbie here.

I am curious if anyone has created 3D models that are used as ultrasound phantoms for teaching purposes. I would like to create models of limbs, torsos, etc... that can simulate muscle, subcutaneous tissue, nerves, vessels, where I can teach MSK and regional nerve block ultrasound. It seems clear that I can use PLA or PETG to simulate bone very easily, but I was wondering if anyone has used TPU (or other filament) and whether sound waves penetrate TPU.

Thanks

[Dr. Mike]

My guess is that if you are printing with FDM, lots of air bubbles will be caught between the layers and lines of your print. Like air in the body, ultrasound will not penetrate that and you will get "dirty shadowning" and it will not matter what material you are using. 

 

Maybe you should be look to STL as a better print method that doesn't have air bubbles? Not sure what the ultrasonic characteristics of those materials might be though.

 

Dr. Mike

[Mandalorian]

This is what I think as well. 

I may try printing something with TPU with 100% infill and see what I get.

Thanks for the response.

 

 

[Dr. Mike]

Good luck. Please repost here how things work out. I'd be interested in seeing how your experiments go.