Samsung Changwon Hospital and Jeju National University Hospital Research Team Registers Patent for Breast Motion Simulation Phantom for Radiation Dose Evaluation

Accurate Dose Assessment is Key in Radiation Therapy
Realistic Simulation of Breast Shape According to Body Movement

A joint research team from Samsung Changwon Hospital of Sungkyunkwan University and Jeju National University Hospital has developed and patented a "breast motion simulation phantom for radiation dose evaluation" that can realistically reproduce the shape of the breast as it changes with body movement.

Samsung Changwon Hospital - Jeju National University Hospital Research Team.

This research involved Byungdo Park and Jungho Kim, medical physicists from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Samsung Changwon Hospital, radiologic technologist Haemin Lim, and Professors Jinhyun Choi and Sohyun Park from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Jeju National University Hospital. Through this development, the research team has proposed a new phantom design that can further enhance the precision of breast cancer radiation therapy.

The introduction of new technologies and precise evaluation of the radiation dose delivered to patients play a crucial role in improving the safety and effectiveness of radiation therapy. However, since it is not possible to irradiate actual patients for dose evaluation, equipment called "phantoms" that simulate the human body are used. Conventional phantoms are made of rigid materials, making it difficult to reflect the actual changes in breast shape caused by body movements such as arm position and breathing.

In particular, for treatments where precision is critical, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), even small movements can lead to errors in radiation dose, thereby reducing treatment accuracy.

To address this, the research team developed a "breast motion simulation phantom for radiation dose evaluation" that can reproduce breast movements according to changes in the patient's posture. The phantom uses silicone to mimic human skin and plaster for bone structures, and is designed to allow the breast to deform naturally with arm movements.

The research team stated, "With this patent registration, we expect that it will not only improve the precision of radiation therapy for breast cancer patients in the future, but also be utilized as a resource for related research and educational materials."