NEUTRON TARGET FOR BORON NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY

• US 20170062086A1
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neutron Therapeutics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neutron Therapeutics Inc.
• Inventors: PARK, William H. Jr., KONISH, Steven P., SMICK, Theodore H., SAKASE, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 11,024,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/109 Neutrons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1077 Beam delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/10 by bombardment with electrically charged particles irradiation devices G21K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/02 Neutron sources
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/08 Holders for targets or for other objects to be irradiated
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/10 with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 3/06 Generating neutron beams targets for producing nuclear reactions H05H6/00; neutron sources G21G4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 6/00 Targets for producing nuclear reactions supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 ; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for producing neutrons for applications such as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) are described. An apparatus can include a rotary fixture with a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, and a plurality of neutron-producing segments. Each neutron-producing segment of the plurality of neutron-producing segments is removably coupled to the rotary fixture, and includes a substrate having a coolant channel circuit defined therein and a solid neutron source layer disposed thereon. The coolant channel circuits are in fluid communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a rotary fixture including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; and

a plurality of neutron-producing segments,

each neutron-producing segment of the plurality of neutron-producing segments removably coupled to the rotary fixture,

each neutron-producing segment of the plurality of neutron-producing segments comprising;

a substrate having a coolant channel circuit defined therein, the coolant channel circuit in fluid communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet; and

a solid neutron source layer, disposed on a surface of the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each solid neutron source layer has a major surface that is disposed at a fixed angle with respect to an axis of rotation of the rotary fixture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fixed angle is about 90 degrees.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fixed angle is about 0 degrees.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solid neutron source layer comprises one of lithium or beryllium or carbon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of copper, aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotary fixture includes a vacuum seal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant channel circuit comprises a micro-channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the micro-channel has a dimension of between about 0.5 mm and about 3 mm.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the micro-channel has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the micro-channel has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant channel circuit comprises a plurality of substantially linear channels oriented substantially parallel to a major surface of the solid neutron source layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the channels of the plurality of channels are defined by a plurality of walls, each wall of the plurality of walls being disposed between two adjacent channels of the plurality of channels, each wall of the plurality of walls having a width that is about twice a width of each channel of the plurality of channels.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the solid neutron source layer is between about 0.01 mm and about 3 mm.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the thickness of the solid neutron source layer is between about 0.09 mm and about 2 mm.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of neutron-producing segments and the rotary fixture, collectively, define a disk having an outer diameter of about 1 meter.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of neutron-producing segments and the rotary fixture, collectively, define a drum having an outer diameter of about 1 meter.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of neutron-producing segments comprises at least 3 neutron-producing segments.

19. A method, comprising:

rotating a plurality of segments removably coupled to a rotary fixture, segments of the plurality of segments including a solid neutron source layer;

flowing a coolant through coolant channel circuits of the plurality of segments; and

directing a proton beam at the solid neutron source material such that the proton beam contacts a surface of each of a sequence of segments of the plurality of segments sequentially as the disk rotates, to cause the emission of neutrons from the disk.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the proton beam has an energy of between about 1.88 MeV and about 3 MeV.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the proton beam has a current of between about 10 mA and about 100 mA.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the proton beam contacts the surfaces of each of the sequence of segments of the plurality of segments with a beam spot size of about 10 cm.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the rotating the plurality of segments comprises rotating the plurality of segments at a speed of at least about 100 RPM.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the speed is about 1,000 RPM.