TY - GEN
T1 - Evaluation of 3D printed contrast detail phantoms for mammography quality assurance
AU - Boll, Måns
AU - Vent, Trevor
AU - Tomic, Hanna
AU - Bernhardsson, Christian
AU - Dustler, Magnus
AU - Tingberg, Anders
AU - Bakic, Predrag R.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objects created by 3D printers are increasingly used in various medical applications. Today, affordable 3D printers, using Fused Deposition Modeling are widely available. In this project, a commercially available 3D printer was used to replicate a conventional radiographic contrast detail phantom. Printing materials were selected by comparing their x-ray attenuation properties. Two replicas were printed using polylactic acid, with different filling patterns. The printed phantoms were imaged by a clinical mammography system, using automatic exposure control. Phantom images were visually and quantitively compared to images of the corresponding conventional contrast detail phantom. Visual scoring of the contrast detail elements was performed by a medical physics student. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated for each phantom element. The diameter and thickness of the smallest visible phantom object were 0.44 mm and 0.09 mm, respectively, for both filling patterns. For the conventional phantom, the diameter and thickness of the smallest visible object were 0.31 mm and 0.09 mm. Visual inspection of printed phantoms revealed some linear artefacts. These artefacts were however not visible on mammographic projections. Quantitively, average CNR of printed phantom objects followed the same trend with an increase of average CNR with increasing disk height. However, there is a limitation of detail objects with disk diameters below 1.25 mm, caused by the available nozzle size. Based upon the encouraging results, future work will explore the use of different materials and smaller nozzle diameters.
AB - Objects created by 3D printers are increasingly used in various medical applications. Today, affordable 3D printers, using Fused Deposition Modeling are widely available. In this project, a commercially available 3D printer was used to replicate a conventional radiographic contrast detail phantom. Printing materials were selected by comparing their x-ray attenuation properties. Two replicas were printed using polylactic acid, with different filling patterns. The printed phantoms were imaged by a clinical mammography system, using automatic exposure control. Phantom images were visually and quantitively compared to images of the corresponding conventional contrast detail phantom. Visual scoring of the contrast detail elements was performed by a medical physics student. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated for each phantom element. The diameter and thickness of the smallest visible phantom object were 0.44 mm and 0.09 mm, respectively, for both filling patterns. For the conventional phantom, the diameter and thickness of the smallest visible object were 0.31 mm and 0.09 mm. Visual inspection of printed phantoms revealed some linear artefacts. These artefacts were however not visible on mammographic projections. Quantitively, average CNR of printed phantom objects followed the same trend with an increase of average CNR with increasing disk height. However, there is a limitation of detail objects with disk diameters below 1.25 mm, caused by the available nozzle size. Based upon the encouraging results, future work will explore the use of different materials and smaller nozzle diameters.
KW - 3D printing
KW - contrast detail phantom
KW - contrast-tonoise ratio
KW - Mammography quality assurance
KW - visual analysis
U2 - 10.1117/12.2625732
DO - 10.1117/12.2625732
M3 - Paper in conference proceeding
AN - SCOPUS:85136127262
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - 16th International Workshop on Breast Imaging, IWBI 2022
A2 - Bosmans, Hilde
A2 - Marshall, Nicholas
A2 - Van Ongeval, Chantal
PB - SPIE
T2 - 16th International Workshop on Breast Imaging, IWBI 2022
Y2 - 22 May 2022 through 25 May 2022
ER -