METHOD FOR MAKING A THYROID PHANTOM Russian patent published in 2025 - IPC G09B23/28 

FIELD: educating; medicine.

SUBSTANCE: method of making a phantom for ultrasonic examination of a thyroid gland involves making 3D-printed models of bone and cartilage structures, making 3D-printed moulds for models of vessels and a thyroid gland, which are filled with liquid plastisol. Photopolymer resin is used to make models of bone and cartilage structures, wherein the models for printing are prepared by 3D modelling based on the results of computed tomography. Shapes of models of artery, vein and thyroid gland are made from thermoplastic plastic, models for printing are prepared by 3D-modelling according to results of computed tomography. Forms of models of tumour growths are made from thermoplastic plastic by 3D printing. As material for imitation of thyroid gland and vessels there used is plastisol with polyvinyl chloride, preheated to temperature of 150-180 °C, is poured into moulds of vascular and thyroid models, lymph nodes and tumour growths and maintained until solidification. Material for imitation of lymph nodes and tumour growths is represented by plastisol with addition of fine powder of graphite and metal glitter to impart echogenicity. Plastisol with addition of metal glitter in amount of 0.5 % is preheated to temperature of 150-180 °C, is poured into moulds of models of lymph nodes and tumour growths, maintained until hardening. Jute twine is cut with scissors into pieces with length of 7-10 cm, each piece is disassembled into fibres and threads, laid into a mould in one direction, providing a loose uniform arrangement, plastisol with addition of metal glitter 0.5 %, preheated to temperature of 150-180 °C, are poured into moulds of models of muscles with fibres and threads of jute twine laid therein, with height of filling of not more than 5 mm, held until hardening, cut models of neck muscles so that fibres and threads of jute twine are located along the length of the muscle model. Neck model is made from photopolymer resin by 3D printing, which is preliminarily prepared by 3D modelling in accordance with the results of computed tomography, filled with silicone to obtain a master mould representing an imprint of the plastic neck model, and left to harden. Liquid plastisol is poured into the master mould with addition of dyes to impart colour to human skin, uniformly distributed over the master mould to produce a skin model, and after hardening the plastisol, the skin model is removed from the master mould. In the master mould, one by one, in accordance with the anatomical location, models of the neck muscles, models of the vessels, thyroid gland, osteochondral structures, trachea, lymph nodes and tumour growths are placed, is poured with heated to temperature of 150-180 °C plastisol with addition of metal glitter, it is left until hardening, removed from the master mould and the skin model is fixed on top.

EFFECT: higher conformity of the phantom structure to the human thyroid structure.

1 cl, 16 dwg