A digital phantom of the axilla based on the Visible Human Project data set

Describes the development of a new digital phantom designed for Monte Carlo simulations of breast cancer and particularly PET imaging of the axillary lymph nodes. The phantom was based on data from the Visible Human Project(R) female data set. The phantom covers the head to diaphragm regions; 17 major tissue types were segmented and 66 individual lymph nodes were identified. The authors have used the phantom in Monte Carlo simulations to model a reduced field of view PET imager based on two flat plate arrays placed either side of the shoulder, using a simple single angle set of projections to form an image. The authors' results indicate that the performance of such an imager is not sufficient for axillary node PET imaging.