Phantoms are virtual realizations of physical objects. In the field of mammography accurate models of the breast can aid in evaluating imaging systems or studying how changes in physiology effect the imaging process. I have created a customizable 3D model of the breast in MATLAB that can generate random realizations of the anatomy. I have made this software available for general use.

Read more details about the model and implementation

The software also includes a method for growing lesions at arbitrary locations. The Lesion is modelled as a bundle of cells that expand randomly in all 3 directions. Layers of concentric shells are used to thin the expanding tendrils
The ductal system contained with the breast is similar to other branching trees such as the arteriers and bronchial pathways. There is a recursive duct growing algorithm included that models observed ductal branching patterns.