Cláudio Coutinho, a student on EEUM’s Biomedical Master’s degree – Biomaterials branch, carried out his master’s thesis project at IPO-Porto’s Radiotherapy service, in which, under the guidance of researchers from the School of Engineering, Vanessa Cardoso and Óscar Carvalho (CMEMS), he developed new materials using organic/inorganic waste to produce phantoms that are used to simulate the human body and its organs, for radiotherapy planning and quality control purposes.

X-ray phantoms make it possible to obtain X-ray images of single body parts, several times, in different positions, without the danger of harming patients.

The innovation of this work lies mainly in the fact that these materials are based on sustainable compounds (waste), which allows for a financial reduction in production that can reach more than 90 per cent of the usual costs. The results obtained after characterisation at IPO-Porto exceeded expectations to such an extent that the researchers are starting new work aimed at printing the phantoms.

The title of the thesis defended at the School of Engineering on 27 February by the now master Claúdio Coutinho is: “Development of solid materials for the manufacture of phantoms that mimic the radiation absorption and scattering properties of the human body when subjected to radiotherapy treatment” and received the maximum classification: 20 points!

The School of Engineering congratulates the student and his supervisors, as well as the entire team involved in this project at the IPO – Porto Radiotherapy Service, namely Dr Anabela Dias, Dr Joana Lencart, Dr Susana Gonçalves and Dr Luís Cunha.