3D Printing Materials for Physical Breast Phantoms: Monte Carlo Assessment and Experimental Validation

The aim of this work is to characterize 3D-printing materials to be used for breast physical phantoms in mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis QA procedures or research. Our approach involves both Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and experimental measurements. Using a GEANT4-based application, MC simulations are involved in order to compare transmission properties of the digital “standard breast”, which is composed by the external skin layer and the breast tissue inside, with those of typical printable materials. Substitute materials for skin layer and breast tissue have been identified and a 3D-printed physical breast phantom has been derived. Finally, a comparison between MC results and experimental measurements has been performed with the Hologic Selenia® Dimensions® mammography unit using XR-QA2 radiochromic films.