Development and validation of a novel patient-specific 3D-printed head and neck immobilization device for radiotherapy.

Abstract

Accurate and reproducible immobilization is critical for effective radiotherapy in the head and neck region, but conventional thermoplastic masks are uncomfortable, labor-intensive and time-consuming to fabricate. A novel patient-specific 3D-printed immobilization device was developed using a digital CT-based workflow. The design targeted stable facial regions and was mechanically validated via simulations. Two nylon-based 3D-printed prototypes were preclinically evaluated on an anthropomorphic phantom, showing high dimensional accuracy, CT/MR compatibility, minimal target dose deviation (<2%), and submillimetric positional reproducibility. While the results demonstrate technical feasibility, clinical validations will be the next step to assess comfort, reproducibility, and workflow integration in radiotherapy.