Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurosurgery Simulation
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Neurosurgical training traditionally relies on cadavers, which are costly and raise ethical concerns.
• Developing advanced simulation tools is crucial for improving surgical skills and patient safety.
• Anthropomorphic phantoms offer a viable, ethical, and cost-effective alternative for neurosurgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a patient-specific 3D-skull and brain model.
• To create a model with realistic CT-attenuation for neurosurgical simulations.
• To enable both conventional and augmented reality (AR)-navigated surgical training.

Main Methods:

• Investigated radiodensity of materials using cone beam CT (CBCT), comparing them to human tissues.
• Tested mechanical properties of phantom materials and evaluated them with neurosurgeons.
• Optimized the phantom design through iterative testing and improvements.

Main Results:

• 3D printed skull using polylactic acid with calcium carbonate; brain cast with polyvinyl alcohol and barium sulfate.
• Skull and brain phantoms achieved radiodensities of 547 and 38 Hounsfield units (HU), respectively.
• Brain phantom demonstrated comparable elasticity to real brain tissue; neurosurgeons validated its utility in various simulated procedures.

Conclusions:

• Successfully designed and validated a realistic, CT-compatible anthropomorphic head phantom for AR-led neurosurgical procedures.
• The phantom accurately reproduces anatomical details of the skull base and brain.
• This cost-effective and easily manufactured phantom enhances surgical training accessibility.