Cervical cancer remains a major global health challenge and is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women worldwide. Brachytherapy plays a central role in its treatment, particularly in locally advanced stages. Brachytherapy enables the precise delivery of high radiation doses directly to the tumour while limiting exposure to surrounding healthy tissues, making it a widely adopted and effective modality. To support the development and evaluation of brachytherapy procedures, anatomically realistic and mechanically representative pelvic phantoms are essential. These phantoms provide a safe and repeatable environment for testing needle insertion, assessing imaging compatibility, and exploring strategies for dose distribution, all without risk to patients. By replicating pelvic anatomy and enabling validation through CT and MRI guidance, such phantoms contribute to improved clinical accuracy and innovation in treatment planning.

This thesis presents the design and validation of a modular, anatomically accurate female pelvic phantom intended for research in gynaecological brachytherapy. The phantom was developed to support needle insertion and compatibility with computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electromagnetic tracking (EMT).
The phantom includes soft-tissue components representing the vaginal canal, cervix, and surrounding support structures, cast from a silicone–cornstarch mixture and suspended within a rigid 3D-printed pelvic frame. An interchangeable tumour insert and surrounding tissue volume were incorporated to provide imaging contrast and enable clinical variation. Material testing guided the selection of suitable silicone mixtures for different tissue regions. To validate the usability of the phantom, ten interstitial needles were inserted and recorded using both CT and EMT. Custom registration using rigid and affine transformations was implemented to align needle trajectories from CT and EMT, enabling quantitative comparison of tip positions and insertion angles. This resulted in a median deviation in tip position and insertion angle of 11.06 mm and 8.04°, respectively. MRI scans further confirmed that the phantom produces sufficient contrast between different elements in the phantom.

In conclusion, the phantom was compatible with clinical tools and imaging modalities such as MRI, and enabled comparison of needle trajectories across CT and EMT. Although the validation was limited in scope, the results confirm that the phantom design is usable in the brachytherapy context. Opportunities for phantom improvement are discussed. With further development, the phantom can serve as a valuable platform for both validation and training in gynaecological brachytherapy.