Fabrication of malleable three-dimensional-printed customized bolus using three-dimensional scanner

PLoS One. 2017 May 11;12(5):e0177562. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177562. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized bolus (3D bolus) can be used for radiotherapy application to irregular surfaces. However, bolus fabrication based on computed tomography (CT) scans is complicated and also delivers unwanted irradiation. Consequently, we fabricated a bolus using a 3D scanner and evaluated its efficacy. The head of an Alderson Rando phantom was scanned with a 3D scanner. The 3D surface data were exported and reconstructed with Geomagic Design X software. A 3D bolus of 5-mm thickness designed to fit onto the nose was printed with the use of rubber-like printing material, and a radiotherapy plan was developed. We successfully fabricated the customized 3D bolus, and further, a CT simulation indicated an acceptable fit of the 3D bolus to the nose. There was no air gap between the bolus and the phantom surface. The percent depth dose (PDD) curve of the phantom with the 3D bolus showed an enhanced surface dose when compared with that of the phantom without the bolus. The PDD of the 3D bolus was comparable with that of a commercial superflab bolus. The radiotherapy plan considering the 3D bolus showed improved target coverage when compared with that without the bolus. Thus, we successfully fabricated a customized 3D bolus for an irregular surface using a 3D scanner instead of a CT scanner.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Humans
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional / instrumentation*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the 2016 Yeungnam University Research Grant. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.