• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권5호
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• pp.1813-1821
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• 2024

Beam shaping assembly (BSA) is a vital component in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for obtaining epithermal neutron beams. Several feasible designs of BSA for accelerator-based BNCT (AB-BNCT) neutron source are carried out based on neutrons by bombarding a natural lithium target with 10 mA, 2.8 MeV proton beams. The calculation results demonstrate that a thickness of 45 cm is appropriate for general moderators referring to the therapeutic parameter of Advanced Depth (AD). A series of optimizations are performed and two results are confirmed: One is that employing the configuration of MgF₂ and FLUENTAL combined by 1:1 could improve the therapeutic rate (TR) of tumors at a depth of middle region, and the other one is that the TR of superficial tumors can be increased by adding a 5 cm thick boron-11 secondary moderator at the end of general moderators. As a result, an innovative conception of an adjustable moderator is recommended to BNCT. Compared to the MgF₂ moderator with a fixed thickness of 45 cm, the TR value can be improved by a maximum of 47.7 % by using the adjustable moderator. Furthermore, the configuration of adjustable moderator has been designed with regulation method for treating tumors of different depths.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권7호
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• pp.2419-2431
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• 2023

Experiments related to Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) accomplished at the Institute of Nuclear Techniques (INT), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (TUB) are presented. Relevant investigations are required before designing BNCT for vivo applications. Samples of relevant boron compounds (H₃BO₃, BDTPA) usually employed in BNCT were investigated with neutron beam. Channel #5 in the research reactor (100 kW) of INT-TUB provides the neutron beam. Boron samples are mounted on a carrier for neutron irradiation. The particle attenuation of several carrier materials was investigated, and the one with the lowest attenuation was selected. The effects of boron compound type, mass, and compound phase state were also investigated. To detect the emitted charged particles, a traditional ZnS(Ag) detector was employed. The neutron beam's interaction with the detector-detecting layer is investigated. Graphite (as a moderator) was employed to change the neutron beam's characteristics. The fast neutron beam was also thermalized by placing a portable fast neutron source in a paraffin container and irradiating the H₃BO₃. The obtained results suggest that the direct measurement approach appears to be insufficiently sensitive for determining the radiation dose committed by the Alpha particles from the ¹⁰B (n,α) reaction. As a result, a new approach must be used.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제49권7호
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• pp.1505-1512
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• 2017

Because accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) systems are planned for use in hospitals, entry into the medical room should be controlled as hospitals are generally assumed to be public and safe places. In this paper, computational investigation of the medical staff effective dose during BNCT has been performed in different situations using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP4C) code and two voxel based male phantoms. The results show that the medical staff effective dose is highly dependent on the position of the medical staff. The results also show that the maximum medical staff effective dose in an emergency situation in the presence of a patient is ${\sim}25.5{\mu}Sv/s$.

• 전력전자학회:학술대회논문집
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• 전력전자학회 2018년도 전력전자학술대회
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• pp.638-641
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• 2018

현재 선진국에서는 고출력 양성자 선형 가속기를 기반으로 한 의료용 암치료기인 BNCT(Boron Neutron Capture Therapy)에 대해 활발히 연구 중이며 다원시스도 2016년부터 A-BNCT 사업을 진행 중이다. A-BNCT에 적용된 양성자 선형 가속기의 RF(Radio Frequency)전원을 공급하기 위해 352 MHz, 1.5 MW의 고출력을 가지는 클라이스트론을 사용하였다. 클라이스트론의 출력인 RF의 크기와 위상을 안정적으로 제어하기 위해 90 kV, 30 A, 120 Hz, 1.7 ms의 구형파 출력을 가지는 고전압 전원장치를 적용하였다. 또한 고전압 전원장치의 출력전압 변동률을 0.5% 이내로 유지시키기 위해 전압보상회로를 적용하여 회로 시뮬레이션과 실부하 실험을 통해 펄스전원장치의 성능을 검증하였다.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1997년도 춘계학술발표회논문집(2)
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• pp.427-432
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• 1997

Boron neutron capture therapy(BNCT) is a binary treatment modality that can selectively irradiate tumor tissue. More is known now about the radiation biology of BNCT, which has reemerged as a potentially useful method for preferential irradiation of tumors. We design a square reactor (that can easily be reconfigured into polygonal reactors as the need arises) with four slab type assemblies to produce high quality epithermal neutron beans and thermal neutron beams jot use in neutron capture therapy. With a low operating power of 300kW, the heat generated in the core can be removed by natural convection through a pool of tight water. The proposed design in this study could be constructed for a dedicated clinical BNCT facility that would operate very safely.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.1970-1978
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• 2021

The aim of this study was to optimize the target, moderator, and collimator (TMC) in a neutron beam generator for the accelerator-based BNCT (A-BNCT) system. The optimization employed the Monte Carlo Neutron and Photon (MCNP) simulation. The optimal geometry for the target was decided as the one with the highest neutron flux among nominates, which were called as angled, rib, and tube in this study. The moderator was optimized in terms of consisting material to produce appropriate neutron energy distribution for the treatment. The optimization of the collimator, which wrapped around the target, was carried out by deciding the material to effectively prevent the leakage radiations. As results, characteristic of the neutron beam from the optimized TMC was compared to the recommendation by the International Atomic Energy Agent (IAEA). The tube type target showed the highest neutron flux among nominates. The optimal material for the moderator and collimator were combination of Fluental (Al₂0₃+AlF₃) with ⁶⁰Ni filter and lead, respectively. The optimized TMC satisfied the IAEA recommendations such as the minimum production rate of epithermal neutrons from thermal neutrons: that was 2.5 times higher. The results can be used as source terms for shielding designs of treatment rooms.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.531-544
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• 2009

This paper is intended to provide key issues and current research outcomes on accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). Accelerator-based neutron sources are efficient to provide epithermal neutron beams for BNCT; hence, much research, worldwide, has focused on the development of components crucial for its realization: neutron-producing targets and cooling equipment, beam-shaping assemblies, and treatment planning systems. Proton beams of 2.5 MeV incident on lithium target results in high yield of neutrons at relatively low energies. Cooling equipment based on submerged jet impingement and micro-channels provide for viable heat removal options. Insofar as beam-shaping assemblies are concerned, moderators containing fluorine or magnesium have the best performance in terms of neutron accumulation in the epithermal energy range during the slowing-down from the high energies. NCT_Plan and SERA systems, which are popular dose distribution analysis tools for BNCT, contain all the required features (i.e., image reconstruction, dose calculations, etc.). However, detailed studies of these systems remain to be done for accurate dose evaluation. Advanced research centered on accelerator-based BNCT is active in Korea as evidenced by the latest research at Hanyang University. There, a new target system and a beam-shaping assembly have been constructed. The performance of these components has been evaluated through comparisons of experimental measurements with simulations. In addition, a new patient-specific treatment planning system, BTPS, has been developed to calculate the deposited dose and radiation flux in human tissue. It is based on MCNPX, and it facilitates BNCT efficient planning based via a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI).

• 원자력산업
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• 제16권8호통권162호
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• pp.53-64
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• 1996

미국의 경우 질병으로 인한 사망자의 절반 정도가 암으로 인한 사망이다. 정산 세포 속에 위치한 암세포만을 선택적으로 손상시키기에는 미흡한 기존의 암치료 방법에 비해, 열중성자와 표적핵을 사용하여 방사선에 민감한 암조직 세포만을 효과적으로 죽일 수 있는 방사선 치료 방법 중의 하나인 BNCT 기술이 새롭게 주목을 끌고 있다. BNCT 기술의 현황과 전망을 알아본다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.231-232
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• 2005

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 1995년도 추계학술발표회논문집(2)
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• pp.937-942
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• 1995

Great interest has prompted Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) as a new treatment for brain tumors. The use of $^{252}$Cf as a neutron source for BNn makes the in-hospital treatments of tumors to be possible. Newly proposed subcritical multiplying assemblies (SMA) are explored to improve relatively tow neutron fluxes of the source and construct the feasibilities of $^{252}$Cf as a neutron source. The MCNP code has been used to evaluate the effective multiplication factor of the entire system and the intensities and percentages of epithermal neutron flux at the patient-end surface of the system. The neutron beam using SMA shows the epithermal neutron flux enhancement of about 13 times as large as the beam without using SMA. It is expected that the neutron beam proposed in this research will be more effective for treatment of tumors due to the increased therapeutic neutron fluxes.