Initial evaluation of accelerator-based neutron source system at the Shonan Kamakura General Hospital

Shunsuke Suzuki; Kazunori Nitta; Takayuki Yagihashi; Paul Eide; Hanna Koivunoro; Naoki Sato; Shinichi Gotoh; Shintaro Shiba; Motoko Omura; Hironori Nagata; Hiroki Tanaka

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110898

Initial evaluation of accelerator-based neutron source system at the Shonan Kamakura General Hospital

Appl Radiat Isot. 2023 Sep:199:110898. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110898. Epub 2023 Jun 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Physics, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, 1370-1 Okamoto, Kamakura, Kanagawa, 247-8533, Japan; Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto University Katsura, Kyoto Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8246, Japan. Electronic address: baseball.tabletenis13@gmail.com.
² Department of Medical Physics, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, 1370-1 Okamoto, Kamakura, Kanagawa, 247-8533, Japan.
³ Neutron Therapeutics, Inc., 1 Industrial Drive, Danvers, Massachusetts, 01923, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, 1370-1 Okamoto, Kamakura, Kanagawa, 247-8533, Japan.
⁵ Particle Radiation Oncology Research Center, Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-Asashiro-Nishi, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan.

PMID: 37311297
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110898

Abstract

An accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) system was installed at the Shonan Kamakura General Hospital (SKGH). We confirmed that a stable operation was possible for 1 h at a current of 30 mA. The evaluated thermal neutron flux was 2.8 × 10⁹ cm^-2 s^-1 and in good agreement (±5%) with the calculated values. The daily variation was within ±2%. The ambient dose rate due to residual radioactivity after irradiation was approximately 5 μSv/h using a lead shutter.

Keywords: Accelerator-based neutron source; Boron neutron capture therapy; Cockcroft-walton type electrostatic accelerator; Quality assurance.

MeSH terms

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy* / methods
Hospitals, General*
Neutrons