Authors:
Anna Bublex
;
Amalric Montalibet
;
Bertrand Massot
and
Claudine Gehin
Affiliation:
INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
Keyword(s):
PVA Phantom, Hydrogel, Bioelectrical Impedance Spectroscopy, Conductivity, Permittivity, Living Tissue, Electrical Properties.
Abstract:
This paper investigates the electrical properties of polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-C) filled with various materials to develop biological phantoms for bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) applications. PVA-C is a hydrogel that undergoes cross-linking through freeze-thaw cycling, known for its long-term stability and mechanical properties, which closely mimic those of living tissue, making it a superior alternative to traditional gelling agents such as agar. To assess the impact of different fillers, samples with varying filler proportions were prepared, and their electrical properties were analysed using BIS across a low-frequency range (1 kHz to 1 MHz). The study was divided into two parts: the first one focused on the effects of PVA concentration, the number of freeze-thaw cycles, molecular weight, and time-dependent behaviour on PVA-C’s electrical properties. The second part compared the electrical properties of PVA-C combined with various fillers, including particles, poly
mers, and ceramics. Finally, the results were compared with existing published data on the electrical properties of living muscle and fat.
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