{"id":70047,"date":"2026-04-10T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=70047"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:10:15","slug":"3d-printed-brain-phantom-missouri-10042026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/3d-printed-brain-phantom-missouri-10042026\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Missouri Researchers 3D Print Artificial Human Brain Phantom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at the University of Missouri College of Engineering have successfully 3D printed an artificial human brain phantom. <\/strong>This has the potential to reshape how scientists study neurological conditions, train medical professionals, and develop personalized treatment tools.<\/p>\n

The model is currently 15% of the size of a real human brain, but the team plans to produce a full-sized version within the next year. What sets this 3D printed brain model apart is that it closely mimics not just the appearance, but also the mechanical feel and electromagnetic behavior of real brain tissue.<\/p>\n

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The 3D printed brain model is 15% the size of a real human brain.<\/p><\/div>\n

What Is a Brain Phantom?<\/h2>\n

In research, a “phantom” refers to a test specimen or model designed to replicate the material properties and imaging characteristics of real biological tissue. This brain phantom allows researchers to analyze how the brain responds to mechanical forces and electromagnetic waves. It provides data that goes beyond what computer model simulations can deliver.<\/p>

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A New Approach: Embedded 3D Printing<\/h2>\n

Most soft tissue models are produced using methods that result in a uniform internal structure, which fails to capture the heterogeneous nature of real brain tissue. To overcome this limitation, the University of Missouri team used a technique called embedded 3D printing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rather than printing in open air, the model was printed inside a jelly-like support bath. This support medium gives the print the structural stability needed to replicate the brain’s varied stiffness across regions, as well as its soft folds and grooves.<\/p>\n

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Embedded 3D printing allows for the model to have varying stiffness.<\/p><\/div>\n

Custom Ink That Mimics Brain Tissue<\/h2>\n

A central innovation in this research is the development of a custom ink: a modified common polymer that researchers can fine-tune to replicate the mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of brain tissue.<\/p>\n

By adjusting the ink’s chemistry, the team can print regions that behave like gray matter or white matter:<\/p>\n