TissueDB/Materials/Albumin

Albumin is a water-soluble protein, available as egg white (ovalbumin) or as powdered or lyophilised bovine serum albumin (BSA). Its defining working property is heat-sensitivity: when warmed it coagulates irreversibly, turning from transparent to opaque cream-white.^[1] It is used as an additive in gel bases such as agar or polyacrylamide, stirred into the cooled base to prevent premature setting; lowering the pH reduces the temperature at which it sets.^[1] Sourced as fresh egg white from any grocery, or as BSA powder from laboratory suppliers. Can be used in medical simulation to give gel phantoms a visible heat response: one source measured an egg-white polyacrylamide phantom coagulating from 67 °C, with a threefold higher attenuation coefficient at 1 MHz after coagulation.^[2]

Tissues

Tissue	Visual	Tactile	Recipe	Simulator	Notes
Liver					Sets to a soft solid; turns cream-white where heated.
Tumor			Polyacrylamide 7% w/v + BSA 2% w/v, pH set to 4.5, which puts the albumin's coagulation temperature at 55 °C — the necrosis temperature the source is simulating.^[1]		Firmer gel; turns opaque where heated.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Sofokleous P, Damianou C. High-quality agar and polyacrylamide tumor-mimicking phantom models for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound applications. Journal of Medical Ultrasound 2023;32(2):121–133. DOI: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_68_23. PMID 38882616. PMC PMC11175378.
↑ Divkovic GW, Liebler M, Braun K, Dreyer T, Huber PE, Jenne JW. Thermal properties and changes of acoustic parameters in an egg white phantom during heating and coagulation by high intensity focused ultrasound. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 2007;33(6):981–986. DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2006.11.021. PMID 17434665.

Page data
Keywords	albumin, egg white, BSA, bovine serum albumin, thermal ablation, phantom, tissue-mimicking, coagulation, TissueDB
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Authors	Arturopelayo
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language	English (en)
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Created	January 29, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Last edit	August 18, 2026 by Arturo Pelayo
Cite as	Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/Albumin". Appropedia. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
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[sofokleous2023-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Sofokleous P, Damianou C. High-quality agar and polyacrylamide tumor-mimicking phantom models for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound applications. Journal of Medical Ultrasound 2023;32(2):121–133. DOI: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_68_23. PMID 38882616. PMC PMC11175378.

[divkovic2007-2] Divkovic GW, Liebler M, Braun K, Dreyer T, Huber PE, Jenne JW. Thermal properties and changes of acoustic parameters in an egg white phantom during heating and coagulation by high intensity focused ultrasound. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology 2007;33(6):981–986. DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2006.11.021. PMID 17434665.

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