Effect of 3D Printing Material and Thickness on CT Image Quality and Shielding

In order to proceed with an accurate CT examination and to prevent unnecessary exposure during CT examination, the need for an appropriate fixing device and shielding device is required. In this study, 3D printing technology, a next-generation technology, is applied to radiation science to investigate the effect on CT images and shielding effects through filaments that can be easily obtained using a general 3D printer of the melt-stacking modeling method. Using a 3D printer, a phantom made of four materials: PLA (Poly Lactic Acid), Bronze, Carbon, and eSteel was produced cylindrical shape. Statistical analysis was performed using a non-parametric test method, and the significance level (α) was set to 0.05 (5%). As a result of the measurement, the PLA filament material had the least effect on the CT image quality. After placing the dosimeter inside the phantom, when the shielding rate was measured for each material through scanning, the eSteel material had the highest shielding rate and showed a shielding rate equivalent to or higher than that of the lead shielding device currently used in clinical practice.