Development and Radiological Evaluation of 3D-Printed Patient-Specific Lung Phantoms: From CT Imaging to 3D Modeling and Material Characterization

This proof-of-concept study evaluates the ability of three-dimensional printed lung phantoms to reproduce subtle pulmonary features relevant to medical imaging. An integrated workflow was developed for the fabrication and evaluation of patient-specific lung phantoms derived from high-resolution computed tomography, with emphasis on ground-glass opacities. De-identified HRCT datasets were segmented to generate both volumetric anthropomorphic lung models and standardized slim coronal phantoms, supporting reproducible imaging evaluation while reducing reliance on repeat clinical scans. The phantoms were fabricated at reduced scale using stereolithography and fused deposition modeling. Radiographic evaluation revealed clear fabrication-dependent imaging behavior. SLA phantoms exhibited smooth, isotropic microstructures and uniform grayscale response, enabling enhanced visualization of peripheral lung regions. In contrast, FDM phantoms demonstrated layered, porous architectures that produced lung-equivalent attenuation and scatter characteristics representative of pulmonary parenchyma. Quantitative grayscale analysis identified systematic differences in attenuation between fabrication methods, reflecting variations in material density and microstructural organization. Slim phantoms provided highly reproducible platforms suitable for quality assurance and quality control applications, whereas anthropomorphic phantoms preserved patient-specific anatomical detail relevant for diagnostic validation and training. Overall, this study demonstrates that phantom geometry and fabrication strategy critically influence radiological performance and provides a flexible framework for future validation and standardized imaging research.