Desenvolvimento de phantom de mama para estudo de imagens por contraste de fase

Abstract

Because of the large number of cases of breast cancer and its increasing incidence rate, new techniques of imaging are being studied. With the aim to provide better conditions for visualization and detection of this disease, in complement of the information obtained by mammography, the techniques of phase contrast imaging have been studied. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop a breast phantom for application in phase contrast images. This phantom is a cylinder with some inserts filled with equivalent materials to normal and pathological breast tissues, such as: polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), ethanol, dimethylformamide and glycerol. These materials were chosen due to the similarity in the attenuation and scattering properties of breast tissues. Among the techniques to demonstrate phase contrast, it was used the propagation technique. The experimental arrangement was elaborated taking into account the calculations to obtain the phase contrast using the instrumentation for X-ray microtomography of the Lactec Institute. Radiographic and microtomographic images were acquired by transmission and by phase contrast and then compared. The comparison between the analyzed images showed significant improvements in the contrast, mainly in the edges of the cylinders present in the phantom. Therefore, the phantom developed in this work can be used to optimize the acquisition and treatment parameters of phase contrast images for application in the detection of breast cancer.