초록 ▼

A neutron delivery system that provides improved capability for tumor control during medical therapy. The system creates a unique neutron beam that has a bimodal or multi-modal energy spectrum. This unique neutron beam can be used for fast-neutron therapy, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), or bo

A neutron delivery system that provides improved capability for tumor control during medical therapy. The system creates a unique neutron beam that has a bimodal or multi-modal energy spectrum. This unique neutron beam can be used for fast-neutron therapy, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), or both. The invention includes both an apparatus and a method for accomplishing the purposes of the invention.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [23.] A neutron delivery system providing improved capability for tumor control during medical therapy, the system comprising:a means for producing a proton beam in the 50-70 MeV energy range;a target comprising means for producing a tailored neutron beam having a high-energy component

[ We claim:] [23.] A neutron delivery system providing improved capability for tumor control during medical therapy, the system comprising:a means for producing a proton beam in the 50-70 MeV energy range;a target comprising means for producing a tailored neutron beam having a high-energy component in the 30-50 MeV range and a low-energy component in the 10 KeV to 2 MeV range;a means for directing the proton beam onto the target which produces a neutron beam in response to such proton beam/target interaction;a spectral filter means immediately downstream of the target and which further tailors the tailored neutron beam into a desired bimodal spectral shape such that when the neutron beam impinges upon a volume of hydrogenous tissue (the "treatment volume"), the resulting absorbed radiation dose-depth profile induced by such neutrons has a half-value depth of at least from about 17.0 to about 21.0 centimeters when such neutron beam is collimated to transverse dimensions of 20 centimeters by 20 centimeters and such that when the collimated neutron beam impinges on the treatment volume a scaler thermal-neutron fluency field of from about 2 to about 5.times.10.sup.10 neutron per square centimeter (2200 meters per second equivalent) per 100 centigrays of fast neutron dose is simultaneously generated at a 5 centimeter depth on-axis;a flattening and wedge filter means downstream of the spectral filter means and having additional components to selectively reduce the low energy component of the neutron beam when it is desired to administer fast-neutron therapy alone, without neutron capture therapy augmentation; anda collimator means for directing the one or more neutron beams to a desired target to be treated.