• Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

  1. Dilute iohexol in DI water by a 1:7-7.5 ratio* measured in mL

  2. Dilute 25% glutaraldehyde in DI water to 4%

• Step 2: Making Tumor Phantom Base Solution

  1. Weigh 0.6 g agar and 2.4 g gelatin

  2. Measure and combine 30 mL chicken stock and 30 mL DI water

  3. Add agar and gelatin in the mixture

  4. Add 4 drops of food coloring in the mixture*

  5. Stir the mixture vigorously until uniform color and texture

  6. Heat the mixture until boiling 

  7. Add diluted iohexol to heated solution and mix vigorously

  8. Maintain it at 45-50ºC until ready to mix with the glutaraldehyde

• Step 3: Load Materials for Injection

  1. Draw up 10 mL base solution in a 10 mL syringe and attach to syringe adaptor

  2. Draw up 1 mL glutaraldehyde in a 1 mL syringe and attach to syringe adaptor

  3. Finish assembly with connection of the plunger

  4. Assemble a needle if needed (17G spinal needle is used for cadaver injections)

• Step 4: Inject into Cadaver (or other non-living tissue model)

  1. Slowly depress the master plunger and apply uniform pressure on both syringes

  2. Prime the syringe adaptor before injection to remove air

  3. Inject!!!

  4. Rinse the syringe adaptor with water promptly after the injection to avoid clogging the mixing channel

* The ratio of food coloring and iohexol could be adjusted as needed to affect tumor appearance and enhancement on imaging, respectively.