Design, construction, and validation of a hybrid phantom for nuclear medicine and ultrasound fusion imaging.

Fusion imaging with nuclear medicine and ultrasound via mobile handheld gamma cameras has been recently introduced, however a phantom for the registration accuracy of this fusion approach is still lacking. We developed a hybrid phantom, consisting of poly-methyl methacrylate and exchangeable ultrasound (US) compatible windows made of silicone or poly-vinyl chloride. A standard balloon catheter, filled with a mixture of [99mTc]TcO4 and water, was positioned at the center of the water-filled phantom. This approach enabled an objective measurement of the registration accuracy.