Linear attenuation coefficient and image quality of polyvinyl alcohol filament as equivalent phantom tissue in computed radiography mammography

Tissue-mimicking material (TMM) is a fundamental element and important to replace actual tissue. One TMM application creates real mimicking models or phantoms to assess the performance of mammographic imaging modalities through quality assurance and control procedures. The TMM must have tissue equivalence properties to reflect the actual tissue. This tissue equivalence assessment depends on the attenuation value of the material. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the linear attenuation coefficient and image quality of 3D Printed materials using mammography computed radiography. This study used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) filament with a percentage variation of 85-100% which was used to make breast phantoms with a 3D Printer. The phantom was box-shaped with an area of 10×10 cm² with a thickness of 1 cm and featured cylindrical, fiber, and speckled lesions. The phantom was exposed to an energy range of 23 - 35 kV, 40 mA, gantry angle of 0°, filter using Mo/Mo, and without compression. The results showed that the linear attenuation coefficient decreased with increasing energy with values of 3.232 - 0.586 cm-1 for 100% PVA, 0.986 - 0.024 cm-1 for 95% PVA, and 0.682 - 0.019 cm-1 for 85% PVA. Meanwhile, the results of image quality analysis from the signal difference-to-noise ratio parameters of cylindrical, fiber, and speckles lesions can be clearly distinguished from the background for all voltages, except on 23 kVp. In the end, 3D Printed PVA filament phantoms provide promising potential as mammographic phantoms from attenuation coefficient and image quality.