Soy lecithin: A beneficial substance for adjusting the ADC in aqueous solutions to the values of biological tissues

Purpose To test soy lecithin as a substance added to water for the construction of MRI phantoms with tissue‐like diffusion coefficients. The performance of soy lecithin was assessed for the useable range of adjustable ADC values, the degree of non‐Gaussian diffusion, simultaneous effects on relaxation times, and spectral signal properties. Methods Aqueous soy lecithin solutions of different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3% …, 10%) and soy lecithin–agar gels were prepared and examined on a 3 Tesla clinical scanner at 18.5° ± 0.5°C. Echoplanar sequences (b values: 0–1000/3000 s/mm2) were applied for ADC measurements. Quantitative relaxometry and MRS were performed for assessment of T1, T2, and detectable spectral components. Results The presence of soy lecithin significantly restricts the diffusion of water molecules and mimics the nearly Gaussian nature of diffusion observed in tissue (for b values