A 3D-printed phantom to validate subject orientation in 3D imaging and recordings

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Accurate anatomical coordinate system representation is crucial for medical imaging analysis.
• Laterality errors and parameter misconfigurations can compromise diagnostic accuracy.
• Existing methods for validating image orientation and coordinate systems are often complex or inaccessible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a 3D-printed phantom for validating magnetic resonance and X-ray imaging acquisition parameters.
• To develop a computational method for automatically detecting and correcting errors in the Radiological Anatomical System (RAS) coordinate representation.
• To provide an open-source, cost-effective solution for improving image acquisition and processing accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Design and 3D printing of a phantom incorporating markers for anatomical coordinate system visualization.
• Development of a computational algorithm to detect and correct flips and permutations in RAS coordinates using the phantom as a reference.
• Testing the phantom and method across four imaging modalities and converting data to the NIfTI format.

Main Results:

• The phantom successfully visualizes left-right, posterior-anterior, and inferior-superior axes in all orthogonal slices.
• The computational method corrected orientation errors in 4 out of 5 tested imaging configurations.
• The developed system demonstrated effectiveness in detecting, correcting, and adjusting imaging protocols.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed phantom and associated computational method provide a reliable and accessible tool for validating imaging parameters and preventing laterality errors.
• This open-source resource facilitates improved accuracy and consistency in medical image acquisition and processing.
• The approach has the potential to enhance diagnostic confidence and reduce errors in clinical practice.