Advanced optical phantom mimicking microvascular and directed blood flow in mouse brain

Abstract

The accurate replication of cerebral hemodynamics is essential for advancing neuroimaging techniques and preclinical research. This study presents a novel multi-component dynamic optical phantom designed to model the complex blood flow dynamics of the mouse brain. The phantom incorporates a static base mimicking skull optical properties, a porous medium infused with a blood-mimicking solution to simulate microvascular perfusion, and a directed flow channel representing large vessels such as the sagittal sinus. The phantom structure was characterized using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) to assess its ability to replicate in vivo-like blood flow patterns. The results demonstrate strong quantitative agreement between the phantom and transcranial LSCI measurements of mouse brain hemodynamics. Our key findings highlight the influence of tissue-mimicking perfusion structures and optical attenuation properties on the blood flow index, validating the phantom as a reproducible and physiologically relevant model. This optically tunable and dynamically controllable platform provides a robust tool for calibrating neuroimaging technologies, validating new optical diagnostic techniques, and investigating cerebral blood flow regulation in preclinical studies.