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204 Nuclear Science and Technology | Progress Report

dosimetry, in order to assess the viability of tissue-equivalent material that will be used
building a phantom for radiotherapy with a for application in veterinary medicine (radio-
3D printer. The results indicate that the PLA diagnosis and radiation therapy). Parts of the
printed plates can be considered tissue-equiv- printed dog phantom are presented in Figure
alent and agree with the obtained using solid 40 and 41.
water plates.

Development of tissue equivalent phantoms
using 3D printer for application in quality
assurance in veterinary medicine

3D printing is a revolutionary technology that
allows us to change the way we consume,
create and even live in the world. Today(,) it
is possible to print 3D anatomical models
based on images of computed tomography
(CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This
work aims to use a 3D printer to build a dog
phantom named “canis morphic”, a veterinary
phantom that can be used in quality control of
Figure 40 - Printed parts: (a)Brain; (b) Skull – lateral view;
radiodiagnostic images and quality assurance (c) Dog head – external view; (d) Skull – frontal view.
of dosimetry in radiation therapy area. The
development of simulators using 3D printers Metrology in Diagnostic Radiology
and tissue-equivalent materials proved to be
quite feasible for use in the field of veterinary During the period of 2014-2016, a new calibra-
radiology. The images obtained by CT exams tion methodology in terms of absorbed dose to
showed good agreement with real exams with water for parallel plate ionization chambers to
animals, thus this dog’s phantom has demon- be used in low energy X rays beams (10kV to
strated to be very useful for quality control in 100kV) was established. In order to establish
radiodiagnostic and radiation therapy areas. this calibration methodology, two ionization
The methodology used in this study enabled chambers PTW models 23344 were used. Both
the development of personalized exams for chambers were characterized and tested qual-
the verification of a better protocol on the itatively according to recommendations of
evaluation of absorbed doses in patients. This international standards. The characterization
work will allow the creation and development tests performed were: measuring effective
of phantom of different shapes and sizes with minimum dose rate measurements, the satu-

Figure 41- Printed parts: (a) cervical spine; (b) lumbar spine.

Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares