A solid iodinated phantom material for use in tomographic x-ray imaging

PURPOSE: Iodinated phantoms are of value in x-ray imaging for quality control measurements, system calibration, and for use in the research setting; however, the liquid phantoms that are most often used have several limitations including variability between repeated dilutions, inhomogeneities from air bubbles or precipitants, and long set up times. Although suitable materials have been investigated for projection radiography, quantitative measurements of contrast enhancement in computed tomography (CT) have become increasingly important in the clinic, and a need exists for a durable and reproducible iodinated phantom material. In this work, the authors describe a solid radiographic phantom material that has an accurately known concentration of iodine distributed uniformly throughout its volume and that has stable properties over time. This material can be molded or machined into a desired shape to create a test object or for use in an anthropomorphic phantom. METHODS: Two sets of calibration phantoms were produced with a clinically relevant range of iodine concentrations. Measurements were made on these phantoms to characterize the material properties in terms of accuracy of iodine concentration, radiographic uniformity, temporal stability of x-ray attenuation, and manufacturing repeatability. Experimentally measured linear x-ray attenuation coefficients were compared to those predicted by a theoretical model. The uniformity of the iodine distribution in the material was assessed by measuring image intensity variation, both in projection images and in reconstructed CT volumes. The reproducibility of manufacture was estimated on a set of independently produced samples. A longitudinal study was performed to assess the stability of the material x-ray characteristics over time by making measurements at 6 month intervals. RESULTS: Good agreement was seen between the experimental measurements of effective attenuation and the theoretically predicted values. It is estimated that a desired iodine concentration could be produced to within 0.04 mg/ml. Comparison of the measured effective linear iodine attenuation coefficients of eight 1.0 mg/ml samples indicated a manufacturing reproducibility of +/- 0.03 mg/ml iodine. Variations in uniformity across each of the samples were on the order of image intensity fluctuations (sigma). No inhomogeneities due to mixing or settling were apparent. An analysis of longitudinal data collected for both calibration sets revealed no perceptible change in radiographic properties over the first 6 months after manufacture, nor over a subsequent 1.5 yr period from 1 yr postmanufacture onward. CONCLUSIONS: The uniformity, stability, and precision of this iodinated material suggest that it is suitable for use in accurate calibration tools for contrast tomographic imaging. (C) 2009 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. [DOI: 10.1118/1.3213516]