Impact of infill percentages in visual homogeneity for 3D printed imaging phantoms

Abstract

The main goal of a 3D printed imaging phantom is to attenuate the radiation in order to differentiate tissues of the human body. This paper aims to verify the infill printing parameter in relation to its final homogeneity in printed samples. Sixteen 8 cm³ cubes with 15% to 90% infill variation, with 5% increments, were printed on PLA + Copper (Cu) and pure ABS. The samples were irradiated using a CT scan at 120 kV, 200 mA, 0.4 mm sections and reconstructed with standard filter. For each cube the mean values of Hounsfield Units (HU) and standard deviation (SD) in a Region of Interest (ROI) were determined. Visually, the internal lattice of each cube was assessed by counting line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) using a DICOM viewer. Infill values above 50% for PLA + Cu and 55% for ABS showed a high homogeneity that does not allow line pair differentiation. In conclusion, values above and including the found percentages are recommended for use in construction of imaging phantoms.