In the field of medical imaging, there have been numerous efforts to combine multiple imaging modalities such as ultrasound (US), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), x-rays and Computed Tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasound (US), and single photon emission CT. Multimodal imaging allows the fusion and analysis of various image data to provide morphological and functional information. With the progress in medical imaging technology and increased importance of quality assurance, the research in medical imaging phantom is necessary. Phantom is an anthropomorphic object that mimics the properties of human tissue for calibration, training and surgical planning purposes. This research thesis examines four different types of polymer-based materials for constructing medical phantoms:​ carrageenan-based polymer gel, polymer cross-linked aerogels, UV-curable silicone and self-healing polymer materials.

In the first study, water-based carrageenan gel found to have a good correlation with the imaging properties of human tissue, but its long-term stability issue restricts its applicability as commercial phantoms. Since samples contained high water content, mechanical and imaging properties of carrageenan-based gel fluctuated due to water expulsion and absorption cycles over six-week period.

In the second study, silica and cellulose aerogel cross-linked with polymer was also investigated as a phantom material. Contrast agents are cross-linked to fabricate an MRI/CT-compatible material. Results demonstrate that the imaging properties of these aerogels met the values of some human tissue values but due to volume shrinkage and complex fabrication process restricts its production in large scale.

Furthermore, in the third study UV-curable silicone material was considered as a 3D printable phantom material. The addition of hydrophilic silicone and water is shown to improve the curing time and imaging properties of silicone. With suitable properties of UV-curable silicone, it will assist to produce real-size liver phantom using 3D printing technique for a patient-specific phantoms.

There is an increased demand for phantom application in clinician training and surgical planning with needle-insertion or dissection is necessary. In the final chapter, self-healing silicone with microcapsule healing mechanism was investigated as proof-of-concept for surgical planning tool. Throughout four different studies, different polymer-based materials are examined subsequently with novelty in each study.