Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation
Background: Neurosurgical procedures are complex and require years of training and experience. Traditional training on human cadavers is expensive, requires facilities and planning, and raises ethical concerns. Therefore, the use of anthropomorphic phantoms could be an excellent substitute. The aim...
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| 格式: | Article |
| 語言: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| 叢編: | Bioengineering |
| 主題: | |
| 在線閱讀: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/10/537 |
| _version_ | 1827651624088109056 |
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| author | Marco Lai Simon Skyrman Flip Kor Robert Homan Victor Gabriel El-Hajj Drazenko Babic Erik Edström Adrian Elmi-Terander Benno H. W. Hendriks Peter H. N. de With |
| author_facet | Marco Lai Simon Skyrman Flip Kor Robert Homan Victor Gabriel El-Hajj Drazenko Babic Erik Edström Adrian Elmi-Terander Benno H. W. Hendriks Peter H. N. de With |
| author_sort | Marco Lai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Neurosurgical procedures are complex and require years of training and experience. Traditional training on human cadavers is expensive, requires facilities and planning, and raises ethical concerns. Therefore, the use of anthropomorphic phantoms could be an excellent substitute. The aim of the study was to design and develop a patient-specific 3D-skull and brain model with realistic CT-attenuation suitable for conventional and augmented reality (AR)-navigated neurosurgical simulations. Methods: The radiodensity of materials considered for the skull and brain phantoms were investigated using cone beam CT (CBCT) and compared to the radiodensities of the human skull and brain. The mechanical properties of the materials considered were tested in the laboratory and subsequently evaluated by clinically active neurosurgeons. Optimization of the phantom for the intended purposes was performed in a feedback cycle of tests and improvements. Results: The skull, including a complete representation of the nasal cavity and skull base, was 3D printed using polylactic acid with calcium carbonate. The brain was cast using a mixture of water and coolant, with 4 wt% polyvinyl alcohol and 0.1 wt% barium sulfate, in a mold obtained from segmentation of CBCT and T1 weighted MR images from a cadaver. The experiments revealed that the radiodensities of the skull and brain phantoms were 547 and 38 Hounsfield units (HU), as compared to real skull bone and brain tissues with values of around 1300 and 30 HU, respectively. As for the mechanical properties testing, the brain phantom exhibited a similar elasticity to real brain tissue. The phantom was subsequently evaluated by neurosurgeons in simulations of endonasal skull-base surgery, brain biopsies, and external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and found to fulfill the requirements of a surgical phantom. Conclusions: A realistic and CT-compatible anthropomorphic head phantom was designed and successfully used for simulated augmented reality-led neurosurgical procedures. The anatomic details of the skull base and brain were realistically reproduced. This phantom can easily be manufactured and used for surgical training at a low cost. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:41:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db16c1ccd91c4874b78e98c1f60b720f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5354 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:41:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bioengineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-db16c1ccd91c4874b78e98c1f60b720f2023-11-23T22:57:29ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542022-10-0191053710.3390/bioengineering9100537Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and SimulationMarco Lai0Simon Skyrman1Flip Kor2Robert Homan3Victor Gabriel El-Hajj4Drazenko Babic5Erik Edström6Adrian Elmi-Terander7Benno H. W. Hendriks8Peter H. N. de With9Philips Research, High Tech Campus 34, 5656 Eindhoven, The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, The NetherlandsPhilips Healthcare, 5684 Best, The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, SwedenPhilips Research, High Tech Campus 34, 5656 Eindhoven, The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, SwedenPhilips Research, High Tech Campus 34, 5656 Eindhoven, The NetherlandsDepartment of Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), 5612 Eindhoven, The NetherlandsBackground: Neurosurgical procedures are complex and require years of training and experience. Traditional training on human cadavers is expensive, requires facilities and planning, and raises ethical concerns. Therefore, the use of anthropomorphic phantoms could be an excellent substitute. The aim of the study was to design and develop a patient-specific 3D-skull and brain model with realistic CT-attenuation suitable for conventional and augmented reality (AR)-navigated neurosurgical simulations. Methods: The radiodensity of materials considered for the skull and brain phantoms were investigated using cone beam CT (CBCT) and compared to the radiodensities of the human skull and brain. The mechanical properties of the materials considered were tested in the laboratory and subsequently evaluated by clinically active neurosurgeons. Optimization of the phantom for the intended purposes was performed in a feedback cycle of tests and improvements. Results: The skull, including a complete representation of the nasal cavity and skull base, was 3D printed using polylactic acid with calcium carbonate. The brain was cast using a mixture of water and coolant, with 4 wt% polyvinyl alcohol and 0.1 wt% barium sulfate, in a mold obtained from segmentation of CBCT and T1 weighted MR images from a cadaver. The experiments revealed that the radiodensities of the skull and brain phantoms were 547 and 38 Hounsfield units (HU), as compared to real skull bone and brain tissues with values of around 1300 and 30 HU, respectively. As for the mechanical properties testing, the brain phantom exhibited a similar elasticity to real brain tissue. The phantom was subsequently evaluated by neurosurgeons in simulations of endonasal skull-base surgery, brain biopsies, and external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and found to fulfill the requirements of a surgical phantom. Conclusions: A realistic and CT-compatible anthropomorphic head phantom was designed and successfully used for simulated augmented reality-led neurosurgical procedures. The anatomic details of the skull base and brain were realistically reproduced. This phantom can easily be manufactured and used for surgical training at a low cost.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/10/537anthropomorphic phantomskull phantombrain phantomCT compatible phantomneurosurgical simulationendonasal skull-base surgery |
| spellingShingle | Marco Lai Simon Skyrman Flip Kor Robert Homan Victor Gabriel El-Hajj Drazenko Babic Erik Edström Adrian Elmi-Terander Benno H. W. Hendriks Peter H. N. de With Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation Bioengineering anthropomorphic phantom skull phantom brain phantom CT compatible phantom neurosurgical simulation endonasal skull-base surgery |
| title | Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation |
| title_full | Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation |
| title_fullStr | Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation |
| title_short | Development of a CT-Compatible, Anthropomorphic Skull and Brain Phantom for Neurosurgical Planning, Training, and Simulation |
| title_sort | development of a ct compatible anthropomorphic skull and brain phantom for neurosurgical planning training and simulation |
| topic | anthropomorphic phantom skull phantom brain phantom CT compatible phantom neurosurgical simulation endonasal skull-base surgery |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/9/10/537 |
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