Magnetic resonance anthropomorphic phantoms simulating relaxation properties of the brain

Physical phantoms are reference objects designed for standardizing scanning protocols, cal-ibrating tomographs, quality control of images, and testing magnetic resonance imaging MRI meth-ods without involving patients. Currently, in addition to qualitative visualization, quantitative meth-ods of MRI are being developed. To ensure uniformity in the interpretation of results and to develop new scanning methods and pulse sequences, it is necessary to use specialized test objects – phantoms that mimic physiologically significant relaxation times. Anthropomorphic physical phan-toms serve as reliable tools for the development and investigation of new MRI methods.The aim of this review is to analyze the literature on existing anthropomorphic brain phantoms while sum-marizing researchers' experiences in their fabrication. The review analyzed literature from two da-tabases: Google Scholar and PubMed. Only anthropomorphic MRI phantoms made from materials with relaxation times close to those of brain tissues, which typically include several components (T1 and T2 modifiers), were included in the review. A brief comparative characterization of the phantoms described in the review is summarized in a table, indicating the mimicked tissues, relax-ation times, materials used for fabrication, and areas of application. The issue of creating brain phantoms for children and fetuses, whose relaxation characteristics and anatomy differ from those of adults, remains unresolved. Information about the possibilities and methods for manufacturing anthropomorphic phantoms for MRI will assist specialists in medical imaging, biochemistry, and biomechanics in addressing the relevant multidisciplinary practical task of modeling and utilizing them in preclinical research.