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We fabricated an agar phantom to assess the detection capabilities of transabdominal ultrasonography after the consumption of various beverages. Sausages and bamboo skewers, measuring 5- and 3-mm in diameter, respectively, were embedded as signals. The thickness of the beverage-filled mock stomach was set at 3cm. We analyzed the detectability of the signal at depths of 1.5, 4.5, 7.5, and 10.5cm from the stomach. The liquid area, representing the stomach, was alternately filled with water, coffee, and Japanese, black, and milk teas to compare their signal detectability. We found no difference in detectability when the phantom was filled with water, Japanese tea, or coffee. However, using milk tea resulted in a marked improvement in signal detection. While it has been long understood that filling the stomach with water enhances signal detection during abdominal ultrasonography, our study found that filling the stomach with milk tea could lead to even more accurate results. Contrary to the belief that drinking milk prior to abdominal ultrasonography might interfere with the examination, our study demonstrated that milk tea improves detectability more than black tea.
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