title: Epithermal neutron beam interference with cardiac pacemakers.
abstract: In this paper, a phantom study was performed to evaluate the effect of an epithermal neutron beam irradiation on the cardiac pacemaker function. Severe malfunction occurred in the pacemakers after substantially lower dose from epithermal neutron irradiation than reported in the fast neutron or photon beams at the same dose rate level. In addition the pacemakers got activated, resulting in nuclides with half-lives from 25 min to 115 d. We suggest that BNCT should be administrated only after removal of the pacemaker from the vicinity of the tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. hanna.koivunoro@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koivunoro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serén
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hyvönen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kotiluoto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iivonen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Auterinen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seppälä
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kankaanranta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pakarinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tenhunen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savolainen
mesh_terms: D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial