RESUMO
Amniocentesis is the process of retrieving the nutrient-rich amniotic fluid (AF) that encompasses the growing fetus in order to diagnose fetal diseases and developmental disorders. Currently, it is only performed on pregnant persons at risk and is invasive with the potential for infection and in some cases, miscarriage. A non-invasive alternative is needed and could be developed using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). To develop such MRS sequences, ample testing and training are needed and could be most efficiently conducted on a phantom. We propose a protocol for creating such a synthetic AF phantom for MRS testing and optimization. The proposed AF is validated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) proving it produces spectra comparable to those in the literature. The results from this study can aid in developing a non-invasive fetal diagnostic tool to replace amniocentesis.
RESUMO
Silicone rubber's silicone-oxygen backbones give unique material properties which are applicable in various biomedical devices. Due to the diversity of potential silicone rubber compositions, the material properties can vary widely. This paper characterizes the dielectric and mechanical properties of two different silicone rubbers, each with a different cure system, and in combination with silicone additives. A tactile mutator (Slacker™) and/or silicone thickener (Thi-vex™) were mixed with platinum-cured and condensation-cured silicone rubber in various concentrations. The dielectric constants, conductivities, and compressive and shear moduli were measured for each sample. Our study contributes novel information about the dielectric and mechanical properties of these two types of silicone rubber and how they change with the addition of two common silicone additives.