Can I top off the phantom myself?

Yes. It is very easy to top of the phantom using a syringe and distilled water. There is a commercially available refill kit. NPC does not recommend purchasing this kit. The kit costs over $200 and consists of nothing more than a few ml of distilled water and two syringes. We are currently working on written instructions on how you can top off the phantom using distilled water and a syringe. As soon as we finish these instructions they will be posted on this website. Meanwhile, if you are an NPC customer, you can call Bob Kobistek at 888-456-5255 if you need assistance with topping off your phantom. But if you’d like to give it a try, here’s what you do: Set the phantom on the table with the inferior end up. Use a 5/16″ nutdriver and remove the nylon plug. There are two plugs. One opens up the captive cylinder inside the phantom, which contains solution with a higher concentration of nickel ions. Do not remove that plug — remove the other one. Tilt the phantom so the air bubble comes up to the fill opening. Use a syringe filled with distilled water to top off the phantom. I find that using a syringe with a hypodermic needle works great because you can inject the water below the surface and avoid having it bubble up and out of the phantom. When you are finished filling the phantom replace the plug and tighten gently. Over tightening will cause the plug threads to strip.