Inks are the most common absorbers added in phantoms for biomedical optics experiments. Due to the small quantities required, it is usual to prepare dilutions in distilled water and to store them for future use. However, they may degrade with time. This work investigates the stability, over a 60-day period, of various types of ink dilutions as a component used in tissue-mimicking phantoms. For this purpose, the optical properties, particularly the absorption coefficient, of a diffusive phantom fabricated with various pre-diluted inks have been determined using time-resolved experiments, for the period of time under investigation. Two commercial India inks were studied, namely Rotring® and Higgins®, as well as a third type, a black ink-jet printer ink (Powertec®). Results suggest that all ink dilutions suffer from ageing, affecting the reproducibility of the optical properties of the phantoms. For the investigated period, this effect was more noticeable for the India inks, but almost negligible for the ink-jet printer ink.
SerraWaks M.CarboneN.Di RoccoH.GarciaH.IriarteD.PomaricoJ. and Ranea-SandovalH., “Diffuse light transmission profiles obtained using CW: A comparative analysis with time resolved experiments”, Optik Int. J. Light Electron Opt.125, 3507 (2014). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2014.02.003
2.
CarboneN.A.BaezG.R.GarciaH.A.SerraWaks M.V.Di RoccoH.O.IriarteD.I.PomaricoJ.A.GrosenickD. and MacdonaldR., “Diffuse reflectance optical topography: Location of inclusions in 3D and detectability limits”, Biomed. Opt. Express5, 1336 (2014). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.5.001336
3.
Andersson-EngelsS.BergR.SvanbergS. and JarlmanO., “Time-resolved transillumination for medical diagnostics”, Opt. Lett.15, 1179 (1990). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.15.001179
4.
Andersson-EngelsS.BergR. and SvanbergS., “Effects of optical constants on time-gated transillumination of tissue and tissue-like media”, J. Photochem. Photobiol. B16, 155 (1992). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/1011-1344(92)80006-H
5.
CoxB.LauferJ.G.ArridgeS.R. and BeardP.C., “Quantitative spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging: A review”, J. Biomed. Opt.17, 061202 (2012). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.17.6.06120
6.
TrombergB.J.PogueB.W.PaulsenK.D.YodhA.G.BoasD.A. and CerussiA.E., “Assessing the future of diffuse optical imaging technologies for breast cancer management”, Med. Phys.35, 2443 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1118/1.2919078
7.
ChoeR.CorluA.LeeK.DurduranrT.KoneckyS.D.Grosicka-KoptyraM.ArridgeS.R.CzernieckiB.J.FrakerD.L.DeMicheleA.ChanceB.RosenM.A. and YodhA.G., “Diffuse optical tomography of breast cancer during neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A case study with comparison to MRI”, Med. Phys.32, 1128 (2005). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1118/1.1869612
8.
CerussiA.ShahN.HsiangD.DurkinA.ButlerJ. and TrombergB.J., “In vivo absorption, scattering, and physiologic properties of 58 malignant breast tumors determined by broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy”, J. Biomed. Opt.11, 044005 (2006). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.2337546
GrosenickD.WabnitzH. and EbertB., “Review: Recent advances in contrast-enhanced near infrared diffuse optical imaging of diseases using indocyanine green”, J. Near Infrared Spectrosc.20, 203 (2012). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1255/jnirs.964
12.
MartelliF.Del BiancoS.IsmaelliA. and ZaccantiG., Light Propagation through Biological Tissue and Other Diffusive Media: Theory, Solutions, and Software.SPIE, Bellingham, WA (2010).
13.
Di NinniP.MartelliF. and ZaccantiG., “The use of India ink in tissue-simulating phantoms”, Opt. Express18, 26854 (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.026854
14.
WabnitzH.JelzowA.MazurenkaM.SteinkellnerO.MacdonaldR.MilejD.ŻołekN.KacprzakM.SawoszP.ManiewskiR.LiebertA.MagazovS.HebdenJ.MartelliF.Di NinniP.ZaccantiG.TorricelliA.ContiniD.ReR.ZucchelliL.SpinelliL.CubedduR. and PifferiA., “Performance assessment of time-domain optical brain imagers, part 2: Neuropt protocol”, J. Biomed. Opt.19, 086012 (2014). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.19.8.086012
15.
WabnitzH.TaubertD.R.MazurenkaM.SteinkellnerO.JelzowA.MacdonaldR.MilejD.SawoszP.KacprzakM.LiebertA.CooperR.HebdenJ.PifferiA.FarinaA.BargigiaI.ContiniD.CaffiniM.ZucchelliL.SpinelliL.CubedduR. and TorricelliA., “Performance assessment of time-domain optical brain imagers, part 1: Basic instrumental performance protocol”, J. Biomed. Opt.19, 086010 (2014). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.19.8.086010
16.
MadsenS.J.PattersonM.S. and WilsonB.C., “The use of India ink as an optical absorber in tissue-simulating phantoms”, Phys. Med. Biol.37, 985 (1992). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0031-9155/37/4/012
17.
ContiniD.MartelliF. and ZaccantiG., “Photon migration through a turbid slab described by a model based on diffusion approximation. I. Theory”, Appl. Opt.36, 4587 (1997). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AO.36.004587
18.
Di RoccoH.O.IriarteD.I.PomaricoJ.A. and Ranea-SandovalH.F., “Light transmittance in turbid media slabs used to model biological tissues; scaling laws”, Optik Int. J. Light Electron Opt.121, 435 (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2008.07.028
