Development and validation of a novel patient-specific 3D-printed head and neck immobilization device for...

Accurate and reproducible immobilization is critical for effective radiotherapy in the head and neck region, but conventional thermoplastic masks are uncomfortable, labor-intensive and time-consuming to fabricate. A novel patient-specific 3D-printed immobilization device was developed using a digital CT-based workflow. The design targeted stable facial regions and was mechanically validated via simulations. Two nylon-based 3D-printed prototypes were preclinically evaluated on an anthropomorphic phantom, showing high dimensional accuracy, CT/MR compatibility, minimal target dose deviation (<2%), and submillimetric positional reproducibility. While the results demonstrate technical feasibility, clinical validations will be the next step to assess comfort, reproducibility, and workflow integration in radiotherapy.