Breast physical phantoms are a basic tool for the assessment and verification of performance standards in daily clinical practice of x-ray breast imaging modalities. They are also invaluable in testing and evaluation of new x-ray breast modalities to be potentially established, e.g. breast computed tomography, dual-energy breast CT and phase-contrast mammography and tomography. Nowadays, there is a lack or there are only a limited number of breast physical phantoms available for this purpose.The aim of this study is to explore a range of 3D printing materials such as resins, PLA, ABS, Nylon etc, to determine their attenuation and refractive properties, and to finally compare them to the properties of the breast tissues: adipose, glandular and skin.To achieve this goal, step-wedge phantoms were computationally modeled and then manufactured using stereolithographic and fused-deposition modeling technologies. X-ray images of the phantoms were acquired, using monochromatic beam at ID17, ESRF, Grenoble for three energies-30 keV, 45 keV and 60 keV. Experimental data were further processed to obtain the linear attenuation coefficients of these materials. Comparison with theoretical data for the linear attenuation coefficients and the refractive indexes for breast tissues was performed.From the studied materials, most of the resins, Nylon, Hybrid, PET-G show absorption properties close to the glandular tissue, while ABS shows absorption characteristics close to these of the adipose tissue. For phase-contrast imaging, it turns out that the ABS combined with resin-based materials to represent the adipose and glandular tissues, respectively may be a good combination for manufacturing of a phantom suitable for these studies.These results can be used for the design and the construction of a new physical anthropomorphic phantom of the breast with improved anatomical and radiological characteristics dedicated for advanced mammography imaging techniques implemented at higher photon energies.

Purpose: To compare the dimensions accuracy and surface roughness of polymeric dental bridges produced by different 3D printers. Design/methodology/approach: Four-part dental bridges were manufactured by three printing systems working on the basis of digital light projection (DLP) stereolithography (SLA), laser-assisted SLA and fused deposition modeling (FDM). The materials used from SLA printers are liquid methacrylate photopolymer resins, while FDM printer use thin wire plastic polylactic acid. The accuracy of the external dimensions of dental bridges was evaluated and the surface roughness was measured. Findings: It was found that compared to the base model, the dimensions of the SLA printed bridges are bigger with 1.25%-6.21%, while the corresponding dimensions of the samples, made by FDM are smaller by 1.07%-4.71%, regardless the position of the object towards the substrate. The samples, produced by FDM, are characterized with the highest roughness. The average roughness deviation (Ra) values for DLP SLA and lase-assisted SLA are 2.40 μm and 2.97 μm, respectively. Research limitations/implications: For production of high quality polymeric dental constructions next research should be targeted to investigation of the polymerization degree, stresses and deformations. Practical implications: Our study shows that 3D printers, based on laser-assisted and DLP SLA, can be successfully used for manufacturing of polymeric dental bridges – temporary restorations or cast patterns, while FDM system is more suitable for training models. The results will help the dentists to make right choice of the most suitable 3D printer. Originality/value: One of the largest fixed partial dentures – four-part bridges, produced by three different commercial 3D printing systems, were investigated by comparative analysis. The paper will attract readers’ interest in the field of biomedical materials and application of new technologies in dentistry.

3D breast modelling for 2D and 3D breast x-ray imaging would benefit from the availability of digital and physical phantoms that reproduce accurately the complexity of the breast anatomy. While a number of groups have produced digital phantoms with increasing level of complexity, physical phantoms reproducing that software approach have been scarcely developed. One possibility is offered by 3D printing technology. This implies the assessment of the energy dependent absorption index β of 3D printing materials for absorption based imaging, as well as the assessment of the refractive index decrement, δ, of the printing material, for phase contrast imaging studies, at the energies of interest for breast imaging. In this work we set-up a procedure and performed a series of measurements (at 30, 45 and 60 keV, at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) for assessing the relative value of δ with respect to that of breast tissues, for twelve 3D printing materials. The method included propagation based phase contrast 2D imaging and retrieval of the estimated phase shift map, using the Paganin’s algorithm. Breast glandular, adipose and skin tissues were used as reference materials of known ratio δ/β. A percentage difference Δδ was introduced to assess the suitability of the printing materials as tissue substitutes. The accuracy of the method (about 4%) was assessed based on the properties of PMMA and Nylon, acting as gold standard. Results show that, for the above photon energies, ABS is a good substitute for adipose tissue, Hybrid as a substitute of the glandular tissue and PET-G for simulating the skin. We plan to realize a breast phantom manufactured by fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology using ABS, Hybrid and PET-G as substitutes of the glandular and skin tissue and a second phantom by stereolithography (SLA) technology with the resins Flex, Tough and Black.

No abstract

No abstract