Development and validation of the low‐cost pregnant female physical phantom for fetal dosimetry in MV photon radiotherapy

Kopačin, Vjekoslav; Brkić, Hrvoje; Ivković, Ana; Kasabašić, Mladen; Knežević, Željka; Majer, Marija; Nodilo, Marijana; Turk, Tajana; Faj, Dario (2023) Development and validation of the low‐cost pregnant female physical phantom for fetal dosimetry in MV photon radiotherapy. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, 25 (2). ISSN 1526-9914

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Abstract

Background: Monte Carlo (MC) simulations or measurements in anthropomorphic phantoms are recommended for estimating fetal dose in pregnant patient in radiotherapy. Among the many existing phantoms, there is no commercially available physical phantom representing the entire pregnant woman. Purpose: In this study, the development of a low-cost, physical pregnant female phantom was demonstrated using commercially available materials. This phantom is based on the previously published computational phantom. Methods: Three tissue substitution materials (soft tissue, lung and bone tissue substitution) were developed. To verify Tena’s substitution tissue materials, their radiation 17properties were assessed and compared to ICRP and ICRU materials using MC simulations in MV radiotherapy beams. Validation of the physical phantom was performed by comparing fetal doses obtained by measurements in the phantom with fetal doses obtained by MC simulations in computational phantom, during a MV photon breast radiotherapy treatment. Results: Materials used for building Tena phantom are matched to ICRU materials using physical density, radiation absorption properties and effective atomic number. MC simulations showed that percentage depth doses of Tena and ICRU material comply within 5 % for soft and lung tissue, up to 25 cm depth. In the bone tissue, the discrepancy is higher, but again within 5 % up to the depth of 5 cm. When the phantom was used for fetal dose measurements in MV photon breast radiotherapy, measured fetal doses complied within 15 % of fetal doses calculated using MC simulation. Conclusions: Physical anthropomorphic phantom of pregnant patient can be manufactured using commercial materials and with low expenses. The files needed for 3D printing are now freely available. This enables further studies and comparison of numerical and physical experiments in diagnostic radiology or radiotherapy.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	woman ; pregnant ; phantom ; physical ; fetus ; radiation dosimetry ; breast ; neoplasm ; megavolt radiotherapy
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics > Biophysics and Medical Physics NATURAL SCIENCES > Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences > Radiation Science
Divisions:	Division of Materials Chemistry
Depositing User:	Željka Knežević Medija
Date Deposited:	10 Dec 2025 15:01
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/10338
DOI:	10.1002/acm2.14240

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