ASPECTS OF DESIGNING AN ULTRASOUND TRAINING THYROID PHANTOM USING PHOTOPOLYMER RESIN 3D PRINTING

Objective. The high demand of modern medical community in creation of accessible phantoms for ultrasound diagnostics is caused by the necessity of training doctors before they start working with patients. The aim of the work is to develop a thyroid phantom for practising the skills of ultrasound examination and biopsy needle insertion under ultrasound control. Materials and methods. The phantom was fully printed on an ELEGOO Saturn 2 photopolymer 3D printer using Fun-to-do resin. To mimic the characteristics of biological tissues, a material consisting of thin fibres of polymerised resin that form a spongy structure has been developed. The developed software code allows changing the thickness of the fibres and their density per unit area in the cross-section of the material. Results. The velocity of ultrasound propagation in the soft tissues of the phantom is in the range from 1510 to 1550 m/s. The presented anthropomorphic thyroid phantom is in the form of a neck section extending from the chin to the clavicles. The in- ternal structure of the phantom, in addition to the thyroid gland itself, includes models of the left and right jugular veins, left and right carotid arteries, trachea and larynx, as well as vertebrae of the cervical department. The total size of the product is 158x112x95 mm. The printing time of the phantom is 9.5 hours. Conclusion. The use of 3D printing technology can significantly facilitate the printing process and increase the reproducibility of the product. The use of fibres as a fabric-imprinting material makes the phantom more