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Patient specific 3D printed phantom for IMRT quality assurance.
Eric D Ehler1, Brett M Barney, Patrick D Higgins
1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, MMC494, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Physics in Medicine and Biology
|September 11, 2014
Summary
Patient-specific phantoms created with 3D printing are feasible for accurate radiation dose verification. This technology allows for personalized end-to-end testing, improving treatment accuracy for patients receiving radiotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiotherapy
- Medical Imaging and Imaging-Guided Interventions
Background:
- Accurate radiation dosimetry is crucial for effective cancer treatment.
- Patient-specific phantoms offer a promising approach for personalized dose verification.
- 3D printing technology enables the creation of custom phantoms mimicking patient anatomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using patient-specific phantoms for dosimetric verification.
- To establish tissue equivalence for 3D printed phantoms compared to standard models.
- To evaluate the potential for per-patient end-to-end testing in radiotherapy.
Main Methods:
- A patient-specific phantom was constructed using 3D printing, modeling the head and neck region.
- Tissue equivalence was established by comparing calculated and measured doses in the 3D printed and anthropomorphic phantoms.
- Dose verification measurements were performed using a nine-field IMRT plan on both 3D printed and traditional phantoms.
Main Results:
- The maximum dose difference for the parallel-opposed configuration was 1.8%.
- The 3D printed phantom showed greater disagreement at superficial depths for IMRT measurements compared to other methods.
- The study confirmed the feasibility of patient-specific phantoms for dosimetric verification and end-to-end testing.
Conclusions:
- Patient-specific 3D printed phantoms are a feasible tool for personalized dosimetric verification in radiotherapy.
- This approach allows for end-to-end testing on a per-patient basis, enhancing treatment accuracy.
- Further refinement of the 3D printing process is necessary for routine clinical implementation.
