Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) 3D printing filaments as materials for mammography phantom construction, comparing their attenuation properties at two different set-ups: at a Calibration Laboratory and directly to a mammography unit. The attenuation of 3D printed test phantoms of two types of common 3D printing Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) filaments (ABS and PLA) were characterized in comparison with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The measurements were carried out with standard IEC 61267 X-rays, using RQR 2-M and RQR 4-M beam qualities at the Instruments Calibration Laboratory, and then applied to a mammography unit, with measurements with 28 kVp and 35 kVp. Attenuation characteristics evaluated indicates the suitable equivalence of PLA to PMMA for 3D printing breast tissue equivalent complex phantoms. The plastic materials used in this study suggest that the FFF technique may be suitable for mammography phantom development.
Highlights
Mammography is the preferred technique for early detection of breast cancer
The plastic materials used in this study suggest that the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technique may be suitable for mammography phantom development
Our findings on the attenuation values demonstrate that a mammography unit can be used as way of attenuation coefficient determination in the absence of standard quality beams if it is calibrated
Summary
Due to the similarity in composition of the normal and abnormal tissues that comprise the breast, the optimization of image quality (IQ) and radiation doses used in mammography are crucial. Breast phantoms play an important role in the optimization process in mammography through the assessment of IQ and accurate determination of dose. They are used in quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) in mammography and in optimization of specific imaging tasks, such as detection of masses and microcalcifications, dosimetry, and characterization of the imaging system performance [1,2,3,4]. Breast tissue-equivalent materials can be manufactured using components which have similar composition and densities to PMMA, utilizing novel technologies
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