A built-up-type deformable phantom for target motion control to mimic human lung respiration

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology Phantom Development

Background:

• Existing lung phantoms are often static or have complex dynamic mechanisms limiting their use for simulating diverse lung diseases.
• Current dynamic phantoms typically exhibit rectilinear target motion with restricted displacement, failing to replicate complex in-vivo lung movements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a novel, simple, and adaptable lung phantom capable of mimicking realistic human lung motion and deformation.
• To create a phantom that allows for adjustable target motion paths to simulate various pulmonary disease conditions.

Main Methods:

• A novel lung phantom was designed using polyurethane blocks for deformable lung tissue and silicone for a simulated tumor.
• Diaphragm-induced compression via hydraulic pressure initiated lung deformation, with adjustable polyurethane densities creating nonlinear target motion paths.
• The phantom system incorporated materials like acrylic and water to minimize computed tomography (CT) artifacts.

Main Results:

• The novel phantom successfully mimicked human lung motion and deformation initiated by diaphragm movement.
• The design allowed for significant deformation and adjustable target motion paths, including nonlinear trajectories.
• Finite element method simulations and 2D motion tests confirmed the phantom's performance, validated by CT imaging.

Conclusions:

• The developed lung phantom offers a simple yet effective mechanism for simulating realistic lung motion and deformation.
• Its adaptability facilitates the creation of various pulmonary disease simulations for radiology applications.
• The phantom's design minimizes artifacts, enhancing its utility in computed tomography (CT) imaging.