Development of a real-time neutron beam detector for boron neutron capture therapy using a thin silicon sensor

Masashi Takada; Tomoya Nunomiya; Akihiko Masuda; Tetsuro Matsumoto; Hiroki Tanaka; Satoshi Nakamura; Satoru Endo; Masaru Nakamura; Kei Aoyama; Osamu Ueda; Masataka Narita; Takashi Nakamura

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109856

Development of a real-time neutron beam detector for boron neutron capture therapy using a thin silicon sensor

Appl Radiat Isot. 2021 Oct:176:109856. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109856. Epub 2021 Jul 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy of Japan, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239-8686, Japan. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Fuji Electric Co. Ltd, 1 Fuji-machi, Hino, Tokyo 191-8502, Japan.
³ National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
⁴ Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2 Asashiro-Nishi Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
⁵ Department of Medical Physics, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
⁶ Quantum Energy Applications, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan.
⁷ Cancer Intelligence Care Systems Inc., 3-5-7 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan.
⁸ Fuji Electric Co. Ltd, 1 Fuji-machi, Hino, Tokyo 191-8502, Japan; Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Tohoku University, Aoba Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.

PMID: 34273618
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109856

Abstract

We have developed a new real-time neutron detector, which is able to measure a direct neutron beam of boron neutron capture therapy. The detector consists of both a 40-μm-thick pn diode and around 0.09-μm-thick LiF neutron converter. Experimental results indicate that this neutron detector can measure neutron flux up to 1 × 10⁹ (cm^-2 s^-1), separately from gamma rays around 500 mGy/h. The measured depth distribution of neutron flux in an acrylic block is in agreement with the activation results of gold.

Keywords: Boron neutron capture therapy; Depth profile; Mixed field of gamma ray and neutron; Neutron; Real time detector; Silicon diode.

MeSH terms

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy*
Gamma Rays
Neutrons*
Silicon / chemistry*

Substances

Silicon