Development of a neonate X‐ray phantom for 2D imaging applications using single‐tone inkjet printing

Cruz‐Bastida, Juan P.; Marshall, Emily L.; Reiser, Nikolaj; George, Jonathan; Pearson, Erik; Feinstein, Kate A.; Al‐Hallaq, Hania; Burton, Christiane Sarah; Beaulieu, Danielle; MacDougall, Robert; Reiser, Ingrid

doi:10.1002/mp.15086

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Radiopaque 3D printing methods have been proposed to generate realistic phantoms of individual patients from clinical CT scans. This method uses office inkjet printers to print potassium iodide (KI) solution on different carrier materials, such as office paper, tissue paper, and parchment paper, to generate realistic phantoms of different body parts, including head and neck, lungs, breast, and abdomen [1]- [3]. However, the solubility of KI limits its maximum deposition on a sheet of paper and restricts the HU range of the printed phantoms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Printing anthropomorphic multi-energy CT phantoms for spectral imaging with office laser printers

Yang,

Kim,

Bennett

et al. 2024

Medical Imaging 2024: Physics of Medical Imaging

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Spectral CT systems enable material decomposition (MD) and generate material-specific images and virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs). Multi-energy CT (MECT) phantoms with accurate attenuation properties enable image quality evaluation and optimization of these spectral CT systems. Previous works have proposed radiopaque 3D printing methods that print potassium iodide (KI) solution on different types of papers using office inkjet printers to create realistic customized patient phantoms of different anatomies. However, these methods failed to reproduce the accurate energy dependent x-ray attenuation properties of different human tissues and can only be used in conventional CT systems. The KI solution used in this inkjet printing technique also results in clogged printer nozzles and leads to inconsistent printed structures and high cost of printer maintenance. In this work, we propose a 3D anthropomorphic MECT phantom generation process with office laser printers and customized iron oxide toner. These phantoms reproduce realistic patient anatomical structures and accurate energy dependent attenuation properties of different tissue types. We printed a 5 mm thick slice of a non-contrast anthropomorphic brain phantom to validate our method. This printed phantom was imaged using two different x-ray spectra, which were used to form VMIs. Our results show that our method can print customized anthropomorphic MECT phantoms for spectral imaging with accurate energy-dependent x-ray attenuation properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Printing anthropomorphic multi-energy CT phantoms for spectral imaging with office laser printers

Yang,

Kim,

Bennett

et al. 2024

Medical Imaging 2024: Physics of Medical Imaging

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…in 2004 16 . Other groups have also shown the feasibility of iodine‐ink printing technology for 2D and 3D X‐ray imaging 17,18 . It has in the meantime become commercially available (PhantomX, Berlin, Germany).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…16 Other groups have also shown the feasibility of iodine-ink printing technology for 2D and 3D X-ray imaging. 17,18 It has in the meantime become com-mercially available (PhantomX, Berlin, Germany). 19−21 Showing high detail in both anatomical structure as well as CT texture it is a promising tool for radiomics feature analysis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

3D‐printed iodine‐ink CT phantom for radiomics feature extraction ‐ advantages and challenges

et al. 2023

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BackgroundTo test and validate novel CT techniques, such as texture analysis in radiomics, repeat measurements are required. Current anthropomorphic phantoms lack fine texture and true anatomic representation. 3D‐printing of iodinated ink on paper is a promising phantom manufacturing technique. Previously acquired or artificially created CT data can be used to generate realistic phantoms. Purpose: To present the design process of an anthropomorphic 3D‐printed iodine ink phantom, highlighting the different advantages and pitfalls in its use. To analyze the phantom's X‐ray attenuation properties, and the influences of the printing process on the imaging characteristics, by comparing it to the original input dataset.MethodsTwo patient CT scans and artificially generated test patterns were combined in a single dataset for phantom printing and cropped to a size of 26 × 19 × 30 cm3. This DICOM dataset was printed on paper using iodinated ink. The phantom was CT‐scanned and compared to the original image dataset used for printing the phantom. The water‐equivalent diameter of the phantom was compared to that of a patient cohort (N = 104). Iodine concentrations in the phantom were measured using dual‐energy CT. 86 radiomics features were extracted from 10 repeat phantom scans and the input dataset. Features were compared using a histogram analysis and a PCA individually and overall, respectively. The frequency content was compared using the normalized spectrum modulus.ResultsLow density structures are depicted incorrectly, while soft tissue structures show excellent visual accordance with the input dataset. Maximum deviations of around 30 HU between the original dataset and phantom HU values were observed. The phantom has X‐ray attenuation properties comparable to a lightweight adult patient (∼54 kg, BMI 19 kg/m2). Iodine concentrations in the phantom varied between 0 and 50 mg/ml. PCA of radiomics features shows different tissue types separate in similar areas of PCA representation in the phantom scans as in the input dataset. Individual feature analysis revealed systematic shift of first order radiomics features compared to the original dataset, while some higher order radiomics features did not. The normalized frequency modulus |f(ω)| of the phantom data agrees well with the original data. However, all frequencies systematically occur more frequently in the phantom compared to the maximum of the spectrum modulus than in the original data set, especially for mid‐frequencies (e.g., for ω = 0.3942 mm−1, |f(ω)|original = 0.09 * |fmax|original and |f(ω)|phantom = 0.12 * |fmax|phantom).Conclusions3D‐iodine‐ink‐printing technology can be used to print anthropomorphic phantoms with a water‐equivalent diameter of a lightweight adult patient. Challenges include small residual air enclosures and the fidelity of HU values. For soft tissue, there is a good agreement between the HU values of the phantom and input data set. Radiomics texture features of the phantom scans are similar to the input data set, but systematic shifts of radiomics features in first order features, due to differences in HU values, need to be considered. The paper substrate influences the spatial frequency distribution of the phantom scans. This phantom type is of very limited use for dual‐energy CT analyses.

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“…In the referenced work, each layer of the phantom comprised of a substrate and a contrast material (a dye) added to the substrate using a standard inkjet printer. Since then, several groups have built upon this concept and reported successful implementations 15,19,22,27,28 . We refer to this methodology as the Additive Stippling process of developing layers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since then, several groups have built upon this concept and reported successful implementations. 15,19,22,27,28 We refer to this methodology as the Additive Stippling process of developing layers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperia: A novel methodology of developing anthropomorphic breast phantoms for X‐ray imaging modalities – Part I: Concept and initial findings

Ikejimba¹,

Farooqui²,

Ghazi³

2022

Medical Physics

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Purpose To introduce a novel methodology for developing anthropomorphic breast phantoms for use in X‐ray‐based imaging modalities. Methods “Hyperization” is a quasi‐stippling mapping operation in which regions of varying grayscale values in a 2D image are transformed into regions of varying holes on a surface. The holes can be cut or engraved on the sheet of paper using a high‐resolution laser cutter/engraver. In hyperization, the main parameters are the size and the distance between the holes. Here, we introduce the concept and chronicle the development and characterization of a proof‐of‐concept prototype. In this study, we hypothesized that a resulting “Hyperia” phantom would be a realistic representative of a patient's breast tissue: it would exhibit similar X‐ray properties and show textural complexities. We used breast computed tomography (bCT) images of real patients as the input models. Using a previously developed segmentation method, the input CT images were segmented into different tissue classes (skin, adipose, and fibroglandular). The segmented images were then “Hyperized”. A series of Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to find the optimal hyperization parameters. Different laser cutter/engraver systems and substrate materials were explored to find a viable option for developing an entire Hyperia breast phantom. The resulting phantom was imaged on a prototype breast CT system, and the resulting images were evaluated based on physical properties and similarity to the original patient data. Results The simulation results indicate close similarities – both in the distribution of different tissue types and the resulting CT numbers – between the patient bCT image and the bCT of the Hyperia phantom, regardless of the breast size and density: the Pearson correlation coefficient (ρ) ranged from 0.88 in a BIRADS A breast to 0.94 in BIRADS C and D breasts (ρ of 1.00 suggests perfect structural similarity), and the volumetric mean squared error ranged from 0.0033 (in BIRADS D breast) to 0.0059 (in BIRADS A), suggesting good agreement between the resulting CT numbers. For fabricating the slices, the office paper was found to be an optimal substrate material, with the Hyperization parameters of (α, β) = (0.200 mm, 0.400 mm). Conclusion A novel phantom can be used for X‐ray‐based breast cancer imaging systems. The main advantage is that only one material is used for creating a contrast between different tissue types in an image.

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Development of a neonate X‐ray phantom for 2D imaging applications using single‐tone inkjet printing

Cited by 4 publications

References 26 publications

Printing anthropomorphic multi-energy CT phantoms for spectral imaging with office laser printers

Printing anthropomorphic multi-energy CT phantoms for spectral imaging with office laser printers

3D‐printed iodine‐ink CT phantom for radiomics feature extraction ‐ advantages and challenges

Hyperia: A novel methodology of developing anthropomorphic breast phantoms for X‐ray imaging modalities – Part I: Concept and initial findings

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