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Rapid Communication| Volume 105, 102512, January 2023

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Realistic 3D printed CT imaging tumor phantoms for validation of image processing algorithms

Published:December 28, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.102512
Realistic 3D printed CT imaging tumor phantoms for validation of image processing algorithms
Previous ArticleImage-based motion artifact reduction on liver dynamic contrast enhanced MRI

      Highlights

      • •
        CT tumor phantoms with complex density heterogeneity and geometry were developed.
      • •
        Filament printing technology was used for 3D printing of the phantoms.
      • •
        A density range between −217 to 226 HUs was achieved.
      • •
        Life-like heterogeneity of the radiodensity inside the tumor phantoms could be simulated.

      Abstract

      Medical imaging phantoms are widely used for validation and verification of imaging systems and algorithms in surgical guidance and radiation oncology procedures. Especially, for the performance evaluation of new algorithms in the field of medical imaging, manufactured phantoms need to replicate specific properties of the human body, e.g., tissue morphology and radiological properties. Additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides an inexpensive opportunity for accurate anatomical replication with customization capabilities. In this study, we proposed a simple and cheap protocol using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology to manufacture realistic tumor phantoms based on the filament 3D printing technology. Tumor phantoms with both homogenous and heterogeneous radiodensity were fabricated. The radiodensity similarity between the printed tumor models and real tumor data from CT images of lung cancer patients was evaluated. Additionally, it was investigated whether a heterogeneity in the 3D printed tumor phantoms as observed in the tumor patient data had an influence on the validation of image registration algorithms.
      A radiodensity range between −217 to 226 HUs was achieved for 3D printed phantoms using different filament materials; this range of radiation attenuation is also observed in the human lung tumor tissue. The resulted HU range could serve as a lookup-table for researchers and phantom manufactures to create realistic CT tumor phantoms with the desired range of radiodensities. The 3D printed tumor phantoms also precisely replicated real lung tumor patient data regarding morphology and could also include life-like heterogeneity of the radiodensity inside the tumor models. An influence of the heterogeneity on accuracy and robustness of the image registration algorithms was not found.

      Keywords

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      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: December 28, 2022
      Accepted: December 15, 2022
      Received in revised form: November 6, 2022
      Received: June 18, 2022

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.102512

      Copyright

      © 2022 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica e Sanitaria. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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