Investigation of a method for creating neonatal chest phantom using 3D printer

Abstract

Newborns and children are more sensitive to radiation and have a longer life expectancy than adults. Therefore, efforts should be made to reduce unnecessary exposure by optimizing the dose when conducting radiological examinations. In order to optimize the dose in neonatal X-ray examinations, we studied a method to create inexpensive and precise neonatal chest heterogeneous anthropomorphic phantoms using a 3 dimensional (3D) printer. Phantoms were created by constructing segments of computed tomography (CT) volume data acquired from the chest of a 6-month-old, excluding the bone and lung tissue, using 3D image analysis software. The material used for 3D printing was polylactic acid; multiple printing densities were investigated. Gypsum and urethane foam were used as bone- and lung-equivalent substances. The CT values of the lung tissue in the phantom were almost the same as those of the air, and those of the bone tissue showed a range of CT values dependent on the print density. By visual evaluation, it was established that the shapes of the original lungs and heart were reproduced in the images of the phantom. The creation of an inexpensive and precise neonatal chest phantom using a 3D printer is useful.