Adapting production parameters and material compositions of phantom materials for radiologic tissue equivalence

Abstract

The integration of 3D printing and imaging phantoms has the potential to benefit medical imaging by allowing for the creation of highly accurate anatomical models and customized diagnostic tools, leading to improved diagnostic precision and innovative treatment options.This study investigates the optimization of phantom materials for radiological applications in three main research areas. The initial two approaches focus on achieving controlled density reduction in phantoms to replicate human tissue properties through two methods: incorporating foaming polymers in 3D print filaments and reducing density using standard printing filaments.The third approach focuses on doping printing resins with iodine to replicate tissues with iodinated contrast agents. The addition of iodine improves contrast in 3D phantoms, aiding in the optimization of radiation dosage and image quality in various imaging techniques like angiography, contrast-enhanced CT, or dual-energy mammography. These iodine-doped resin phantoms are essential in quality assurance procedures and optimization, especially in applications like contrast-enhanced dual-energy mammography (CEDEM) for breast cancer diagnosis.Unlike traditional phantoms filled with liquid iodine contrast agents, this study introduces solid phantoms made of resin mixed with an iodine contrast agent. This approach tackles previous manufacturing challenges like air bubbles and sedimentation and enhances the usability of these materials in radiological research and clinical settings.