Program Information
Using 3D Printing to Manufacture An Anthropomorphic Thorax Phantom
C Hazelaar*, M Dahele , M van Eijnatten , J Wolff , T Forouzanfar , B Slotman , W Verbakel , VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
Presentations
TU-C2-GePD-I-6 (Tuesday, August 1, 2017) 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Room: Imaging ePoster Lounge
Purpose: Anthropomorphic phantoms are widely used in radiotherapy and medical imaging for quality assurance, testing, and optimization. However, commercially available phantoms often bear little resemblance to the in-vivo situation.
Methods: We used 3D printing techniques to create a life-size thorax phantom based on the CT scan of a patient with lung cancer and incorporating structures made of silicone (cast into a 3D printed mold), gypsum (printed using an Inkjet printer), and nylon (printed using Selective Laser Sintering). Lung structures included airways and blood vessels >1mm and three lung tumors (printed in nylon).
Results: Kilovoltage X-ray and CT images of the phantom closely resembled those of the patient in terms of size, shapes, and structures. Surface comparison using 3D models of the phantom and the images used for printing showed mean differences <1mm for all structures. Mean radio-density (patient/phantom) of the soft tissues (represented by silicone in the phantom) were -36/178 Hounsfield units (HU), bone (gypsum in the phantom) 387/731 HU and lung structures (nylon in the phantom) -376/-512 HU. Tensile tests of the materials showed that the phantom could withstand radiation doses equivalent to over 400 full treatment courses.
Conclusion: This anthropomorphic phantom contains multiple tissue compartments and closely resembles a real patient in terms of physical dimensions and appearance under kV imaging conditions. The 3D printing materials are radio-resistant, but both materials and methods need to be refined to more closely resemble human tissues. Single printer technology is expected to become more feasible/attractive in the future. The phantom is currently being used to evaluate X-ray based imaging techniques for radiotherapy.
Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: This project was partly sponsored by Varian Medical Systems.
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