A Universal Multimodal Female Pelvic Phantom With Brachytherapy Applications

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiotherapy Physics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Anthropomorphic phantoms are crucial for gynecologic brachytherapy training and workflow validation.
• Limited access to commercial models necessitates the development of low-cost alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a low-cost, multimodal female pelvic phantom for gynecologic brachytherapy.
• To replicate pelvic anatomy and tissue properties relevant to brachytherapy.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a custom phantom using agar tissue-mimicking materials and 3D-printed molds.
• Ensured compatibility with CT, MRI, and various ultrasound modalities.
• Measured imaging properties (SoS, HU, ED) and assessed segmentation variability.

Main Results:

• Phantom provided clear visualization across all imaging modalities with structural integrity.
• Measured imaging properties closely matched clinical reference values.
• MRI yielded the most consistent segmentations; 3D transrectal US showed greater variability.

Conclusions:

• The developed phantom effectively supports realistic brachytherapy applicator placement and multimodal imaging.
• It is suitable for image segmentation tasks and has potential for dose planning studies.
• Low cost (~$150 CAD) enhances accessibility for training and research.