Comparisons of material characteristics for implementation in mammographic phantoms

The following work presents the development of structures and techniques for implementation in mammographic phantoms focusing on the replication of anatomical and radiological characteristics of the human breast. Three-dimensional modeling was performed in the software Blender and Fusion360. During the process, four different experimental structures were developed and tested, each composed of three distinct parts, the outer structure, filling and internal structures, in order to evaluate the selection of compounds and density variation, seeking the best combination for anatomical fidelity and radiological response. The research also discusses different 3D printing methods and parameters and how those factors affect the phantom’s geometric accuracy and physical properties . The results demonstrated that PLA-based structures ensured greater dimensional accuracy and contrast in radiographic images, while TPU-based structures presented better mechanical adaptability, although requiring more attention to the printing parameters to minimize artifacts. With respect to fillers, beeswax presented the best performance with less variation in pixel values, greater homogeneity and also was more manageable due to its thermoplastic behavior than the paraffin gel.