Ballistic gelatin as a putative substrate for EEG phantom devices

Phantom devices allow the human variable to be controlled for in order to allow clear comparison and validation of biomedical imaging hardware and software. There is currently no standard phantom for electroencephalography (EEG). To be useful, such a device would need to: (a) accurately recreate the real and imaginary components of scalp electrical impedance, (b) contain internal emitters to create electrical dipoles, and (c) be easily replicable across various labs and research groups. Cost-effective materials, which are conductive, repeatable, and easily formed are a missing key enabler for EEG phantoms. Here, we explore the use of ballistics gelatin, an inexpensive, easily-formable and repeatable material, as a putative substrate by examining its electrical properties and physical stability over time. We show that varied concentrations of NaCl salt relative to gelatin powder shifts the phase/frequency response profile, allowing for selective tuning of the material electrical properties.