Neutron-capture therapy apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Therapy apparatus comprising:
- a fast nuclear fission reactor with a reactor core as a source of fast and epithermal neutrons;
material around the reactor core for inelastic and elastic down-scattering of fast neutrons, such material having a macroscopic inelastic neutron scattering cross section at least as large as that of metallic bismuth;
adjustable moderators with 1/v-absorber combination to optimize epithermal neutron spectra for different tumors;
shielding media surrounding the reactor;
a plurality of neutron transmission passageways through said media; and
treatment stations outside the media at the ends of the passageways.
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Abstract
Patient treatment rooms are circularly spaced around a nuclear reactor core. Suitable shielding is provided between the rooms and the core, with neutron transmission passageways provided in the shielding from the core to provide space for appropriate collimating equipment. The core is generally cylindrical and multi-regional, with the inner two or three regions containing nuclear fuel, the inner core producing most of the fission neutrons, the first core ring containing a low enrichment fuel, and the third containing thorium or depleted uranium metal or some other heavy metal for inelastic scattering of neutrons and gamma ray absorption. Two moderator rings, each containing a different moderator liquid composition with variable thermal neutron absorbers and gamma ray absorbers, surrounding the multi-regional core. A heavy metal gamma ray shield surrounds the second moderator ring. The arrangement constricts the neutron spectrum in the reactor itself to transmit only epithermal neutrons to the patients, without the typical spectrum shaping filters normally contemplated for use between reactors and treatment subjects.
36 Citations
27 Claims
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1. Therapy apparatus comprising:
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a fast nuclear fission reactor with a reactor core as a source of fast and epithermal neutrons; material around the reactor core for inelastic and elastic down-scattering of fast neutrons, such material having a macroscopic inelastic neutron scattering cross section at least as large as that of metallic bismuth; adjustable moderators with 1/v-absorber combination to optimize epithermal neutron spectra for different tumors; shielding media surrounding the reactor; a plurality of neutron transmission passageways through said media; and treatment stations outside the media at the ends of the passageways. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A nuclear fission reactor having a core as a source of fast and epithermal neutrons, the core having a fuel therein having a macroscopic inelastic neutron scattering cross section that is characteristic of uranium metal fuel;
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material around the fuel for strong inelastic down-scattering of fast neutrons; adjustable moderator with 1/v-absorber combination to optimize epithermal neutron spectra for different tumors; shielding media surrounding the reactor; a plurality of neutron transmission passageways extending outward through said media; and treatment stations at the ends of the passageways outside the media. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of treating a plurality of subjects with neutron-capture therapy comprising the steps of:
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locating individual subjects in plurality of treatment stations around a nuclear reactor having a nuclear fuel core; exposing the subjects to epithermal neutron emission from a fast nuclear reactor core surrounded by metal and liquid moderator regions, after narrowing the spread of the neutron energy spectrum by inelastic and elastic scattering, the elastic scattering especially in moderators combined with 1/v absorption in moderators around the metal regions. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification