A high-resolution pediatric female whole-body numerical model with comparison to a male model

Abstract

Overview

Numerical models are indispensable in the development and evaluation of medical technologies and understanding physiological adaptations due to anatomical changes. This study introduces Athena, a cutting-edge, high-resolution whole-body pediatric model tailored for female anatomy, addressing the gap in biologically sex-distinct models in pediatric research.

Objective

The study aimed to develop a female pediatric model called Athena, offering higher resolution and detailed anatomical accuracy compared to existing models, which predominantly focus on adults and lack variety in representing different sexes.

Approach

• Segmentation of various body tissues using MRI and CT scans of a healthy 3.5-year-old girl.
• Validation by expert neuro-radiologists and assessment of sex-based anatomical variations.
• Comparison with a male counterpart model, Martin, exhibiting differences in organ metrics and exposure to MRI-based measurements.

Main Results

Athena comprises 267 tissue compartments including 50 brain tissue labels, each accurately reflecting healthy pediatric values. The study also explored the variability in brain metrics between male and female models and demonstrated the utility of the models in calculating Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and Joule heating in children exposed to high-field MRI.

Significance

This study provides a significant advancement in pediatric modeling by creating a highly realistic and detailed female numerical model. It supports crucial applications in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical devices in MRI settings, neurostimulation, and radiation dosimetry. Moreover, Athena is slated to be available open-source on the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging website, further contributing to broader research and clinical applications.