title: Development of patient-specific molecular imaging phantoms using a 3D printer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate rapid prototyping technology for the production of patient-specific, cost-effective liquid fillable phantoms directly from patient CT data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Liver, spleen, and kidney volumes were segmented from patient CT data. Each organ was converted to a shell and filling holes and leg supports were added using computer aided design software and prepared for printing. Additional fixtures were added to the liver to allow lesion inserts to be fixed within the structure. Phantoms were printed from an ultraviolet curable photopolymer using polyjet technology on an Objet EDEN 500V 3D printer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final print material is a clear solid acrylic plastic which is watertight, rigid, and sufficiently durable to withstand multiple assembly and scanning protocols. Initial scans of the phantoms have been performed with Tc-99m SPECT and F-18 PET/CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The organ geometry showed good correspondence with anatomical references. The methodology developed can be generally applied to other anatomical or geometrical phantoms for molecular imaging.
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Gear
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rushforth
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chittenden
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cummings
authors.affiliation: Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5TL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Flux
mesh_terms: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D010969:Plastics; D057285:Precision Medicine; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012984:Software; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013667:Technetium; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D010969:Plastics; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013667:Technetium