title: A conceptual design of a beam-shaping assembly for boron neutron capture therapy based on deuterium-tritium neutron generators.
abstract: A conceptual design of a beam-shaping assembly for boron neutron capture therapy using deuterium-tritium accelerator based neutrons source is developed. Calculations based on a simple geometry model for the radiation transport are initially performed to estimate the assembly materials and their linear dimensions. Afterward, the assembly geometry is produced, optimized and verified. In order to perform these calculations the general-purpose MCNP code is used. Irradiation time and therapeutic gain are utilized as beam assessment parameters. Metallic uranium and manganese are successfully tested for fast-to-epithermal neutron moderation. In the present beam-shaping assembly proposal, the therapeutic gain is improved by 23% and the accelerator current required for a fixed irradiation period is reduced by six times compared to previous proposals based on the same D-T reaction.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo Nuclear, 5ta y 30, Miramar, Playa, Ciudad Habana, Cuba. guido@ceaden.edu.cu
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Arian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abrahantes
mesh_terms: D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003903:Deuterium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D009502:Neutrons; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D014316:Tritium / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D003903:Deuterium