# Development of Ultrasound Imaging Phantoms Appropriate for Quantification of Muscle Fascicle Architecture and Mechanical Properties

> **NIH VA I21** · EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Because of its low cost and ease of use, there is widespread adoption of ultrasound as an imaging modality for
the musculoskeletal system. For example, traditional, two-dimensional, brightness mode (B-mode) ultrasound is
currently being implemented to quantify muscle morphological adaptations in vivo for a broad and disparate
range of applications. Ultrasound elastography, a newer modality, is increasingly being applied to the
quantification of human muscle tissue mechanical properties. Clinically, musculoskeletal ultrasound has been
promoted as a “first-line imaging modality” for 72 clinical indications. Despite the increasing prevalence of
musculoskeletal ultrasound, there remain critical limitations for its implementation and for interpretation of the
data that results. Clinically, reliability and standardization of training are considered significant obstacles limiting
the quality of clinical ultrasound assessments. Similarly, there is a critical, unmet need to improve validation
methods for the research application of ultrasound imaging. For example, a systematic review of the literature
describing the implementation of B-mode ultrasound for measurement of muscle morphometric parameters
concludes that, while the evidence supports its validity, the evidence is extremely limited and there are
substantial caveats on this conclusion. There are similar limitations relevant to the study of muscle mechanical
properties via ultrasound imaging.
 We propose the development of muscle-like phantoms as a first step toward addressing common issues
of reliability, validation, and standardization of training for ultrasound imaging, that connect research and the
clinic. In medical imaging, phantoms are mockups of the tissue of interest, synthesized to mimic critical features,
known geometric organization, or relevant material composition; they are commonly implemented to establish a
type of “gold-standard” performance measure. There are no commercially available phantoms that are applicable
to establish how accurately and reliably either muscle structure or mechanical properties can be quantified via
ultrasound. As a result, the true utility of these widely adopted imaging methods is not being achieved.
 This application describes a preclinical study, focused on prototype device development. The long-term
goal for this work is to develop a range of muscle-like phantoms that will enable the study of different muscle
architectures and include physiologically relevant material properties. In this two-year SPiRE funding period, we
will (1) develop materials that mimic the mechanical properties of human muscle and are suitable for ultrasound
imaging, and (2) use these materials to 3D print muscle-like phantoms. We will evaluate the phantoms we
produce relative to how well they replicate structural and material properties of muscles commonly assessed
with ultrasound imaging. The first aim of this study is to develop printable hydrogels that mimic the passive and
a...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10427254
- **Project number:** 5I21RX003610-02
- **Recipient organization:** EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Wendy M Murray
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10427254

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10427254, Development of Ultrasound Imaging Phantoms Appropriate for Quantification of Muscle Fascicle Architecture and Mechanical Properties (5I21RX003610-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10427254. Licensed CC0.

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