Analytical shielding calculations for a proton therapy facility.
The University of Pennsylvania is building a proton therapy facility in collaboration with Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The proposed facility has four gantry rooms, a fixed beam room and a research room, and will use a cyclotron as the source of protons. In this study, neutron shielding considerations for the proposed proton therapy facility were investigated using analytical techniques and Monte Carlo simulated neutron spectra. Neutron spectra calculations were done using the GEANT4 (v6.2) simulation code for various materials: water, carbon, iron, nickel and tantalum to estimate the neutron production at proton beam energies of 100, 175 and 250 MeV. Dose equivalent calculations were performed using analytical methods at various critical points within the facility, by folding the GEANT4 produced neutron spectra with dose equivalent rate data from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report #144.
Avery
Stephen
S
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St., 2 Donner, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. avery@xrt.upenn.edu
Ainsley
Chris
C
Maughan
Richard
R
McDonough
James
J
D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017357:Cyclotrons; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009502:Neutrons; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons