Open AccessThree-dimensional printed optical phantoms with customized absorption and scattering properties
Author(s) -
Phuong Diep,
Sanjana Pannem,
Jordan Sweer,
Justine Lo,
Michael Snyder,
Gabriella Stueber,
Yanyu Zhao,
Syeda Tabassum,
Raeef Istfan,
Junjie Wu,
Shyamsunder Erramilli,
Darren Roblyer
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.6.004212
Subject(s) - materials science , imaging phantom , extrusion , absorption (acoustics) , optics , 3d printing , fused filament fabrication , 3d printed , acrylonitrile butadiene styrene , biomedical engineering , calibration , scattering , light scattering , composite material , medicine , physics , statistics , mathematics
Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers the promise of fabricating optical phantoms with arbitrary geometry, but commercially available thermoplastics provide only a small range of physiologically relevant absorption (µa) and reduced scattering (µs`) values. Here we demonstrate customizable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments for dual extrusion 3D printing of tissue mimicking optical phantoms. µa and µs` values were adjusted by incorporating nigrosin and titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the filament extrusion process. A wide range of physiologically relevant optical properties was demonstrated with an average repeatability within 11.5% for µa and 7.71% for µs`. Additionally, a mouse-simulating phantom, which mimicked both the geometry and optical properties of a hairless mouse with an implanted xenograft tumor, was printed using dual extrusion methods. 3D printed tumor optical properties matched the live tumor with less than 3% error at a wavelength of 659 nm. 3D printing with user defined optical properties may provide a viable method for durable optically diffusive phantoms for instrument characterization and calibration.