Design and fabrication of a 3D printed paediatric anthropomorphic pelvic phantom for use in the Nuclear Medicine Department

Abstract

This research study aims to investigate the impact of pelvic attenuation on Differential Renal Function (DRF) measurement accuracy and develop a 3D printed anthropomorphic pelvic phantom for evaluation purposes. The study assessed the feasibility of utilizing the phantom in Nuclear Medicine (NM) applications. The objectives of this research were to successfully fabricate a 3D printed pelvic phantom using suitable materials and collaborate with colleagues to develop a whole pelvic kidney phantom. Various materials underwent testing to identify the closest match to bone Hounsfield Unit (HU) values. The selected material was then used to 3D print the phantom structure. The phantom was subsequently imaged using a gamma camera after injecting Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) DMSA into the organs. The results demonstrated that a 45% density infill of Iron-PLA filament closely resembled bone on HU evaluation. Furthermore, the DRF measurements obtained for the pelvic kidney was almost equal to the kidneys in their normal anatomical position. However, a slight overestimation of DRF was observed due to the bladder. This study successfully designed and fabricated a 3D printed anthropomorphic pelvic phantom for use in nuclear medicine. The phantom offers a feasible solution for evaluating the impact of pelvic attenuation on DRF measurements. Future research is recommended to explore and optimize the utilization of anthropomorphic phantoms in this field. Additionally, conducting comparative studies with patient data can validate the accuracy and applicability of the phantom in clinical practice.