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Crowe S, Maxwell S, Brar H, Yu L, Kairn T. Use of light-weight foaming polylactic acid as a lung-equivalent material in 3D printed phantoms. Phys Eng Sci Med 2023; 46:1811-1817. [PMID: 37672196 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-023-01318-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The 3D printing of lung-equivalent phantoms using conventional polylactic acid (PLA) filaments requires the use of low in-fill printing densities, which can produce substantial density heterogeneities from the air gaps within the resulting prints. Light-weight foaming PLA filaments produce microscopic air bubbles when heated to 3D printing temperatures. In this study, the expansion of foaming PLA filament was characterised for two 3D printers with different nozzle diameters, in order to optimise the printing flow rates required to achieve a low density print when printed at 100% in-fill printing density, without noticeable internal air gaps. Effective densities as low as 0.28 g cm- 3 were shown to be achievable with only microscopic air gaps. Light-weight foaming PLA filaments are a cost-effective method for achieving homogeneous lung-equivalency in 3D printed phantoms for use in radiotherapy imaging and dosimetry, featuring smaller air gaps than required to achieve low densities with conventional PLA filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Crowe
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Sarah Maxwell
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Harsimran Brar
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Liting Yu
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tanya Kairn
- Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Charles PH, Crowe SB, Kairn T. Technical Note: Small field dose correction factors for radiochromic film in lung phantoms. Med Phys 2021; 48:2667-2672. [PMID: 33619729 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiochromic film has been established as a detector that can be used without the need for perturbation correction factors for small field dosimetry in water. However, perturbation factors in low density media such as lung have yet to be published. This study calculated the factors required to account for the perturbation of radiochromic film when used for small field dosimetry in lung equivalent material. METHOD Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate dose to Gafchromic EBT3 film when placed inside a lung phantom. The beam simulated had a nominal energy of 6 MV and the field sizes simulated ranged from 10 × 10 mm2 to 30 × 30 mm2 . The lung density simulated was varied between 0.2 and 0.3 g/cm3 . Each simulation was repeated with the film replaced by lung material (the same as the surrounding medium), and the required correction factors for film dosimetry in lung ( D M e d , Q D D e t , Q ) were calculated by dividing the dose in lung by the dose in film. RESULTS For field sizes 30 × 30 mm2 and larger, no correction factors were required. At a 20 × 20 mm2 field size, small corrections were required, but were within the approximate accuracy of film dosimetry (~2%). For a 10 × 10 mm2 field size, significant correction factors need to be applied (0.935 for lung density of 0.20 g/cm3 to 0.963 for lung density of 0.30 g/cm3 ). The values lower than one mean that the film is over-responding. At the "upstream" lung-water interface the correction factors were close to unity; while at the downstream interface the corrections required were marginally smaller to those at the center of lung. One centimeter or more away from the interfaces, the correction factor did not vary as a function distance from the interface (in the beam direction). Away from the central axis (perpendicular to the beam direction), the correction factors increased slightly (away from unity) as a function of off-axis distance, before abruptly changing direction at the penumbra, with the film actually under-responding by ~10% outside the field edges. CONCLUSION Accurate dosimetry of very small fields (15 × 15 mm2 or smaller) using radiochromic film requires correction factors for the perturbation of the film on the surrounding lung material. This correction factor was as high as 6.5% for a 10 × 10 mm2 field size and a density of 0.2 g/cm3 . This will increase if either the density or the field size decrease further. This correction factor does not vary as a function of depth in lung once charged particle equilibrium is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Charles
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.,School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - Scott B Crowe
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.,School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia.,Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia
| | - Tanya Kairn
- Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia.,School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia.,Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia
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