Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in the United States has entered into a new phase with the initiation of clinical trials using neutron sources at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. If these trials are successful at demonstrating the efficacy of BNCT as a viable treatment for glioblastoma multiforme, then there will be an immediate demand for several additional neutron sources in order to treat the several thousand patients currently diagnosed with glioblastomas in the U.S. each year. However, the requirements for an acceptable neutron source for BNCT are rather severe in terms of the need …
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Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
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Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in the United States has entered into a new phase with the initiation of clinical trials using neutron sources at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. If these trials are successful at demonstrating the efficacy of BNCT as a viable treatment for glioblastoma multiforme, then there will be an immediate demand for several additional neutron sources in order to treat the several thousand patients currently diagnosed with glioblastomas in the U.S. each year. However, the requirements for an acceptable neutron source for BNCT are rather severe in terms of the need to provide a sufficient number of epithermal neutrons to a patient-accessible location in a reasonable time with minimal thermal-neutron, fast- neutron, and gamma-ray background. A recent study of potential neutron sources at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been completed, which concludes that the Tower Shielding Facility (TSF), also appears very well suited for BNCT. The light-water-cooled reactor is contained in an aluminum pressure vessel and located in a large concrete `bunker` referred to as the Big Beam Shield (BBS). The BBS contains a 77-cm-diameter beam collimator, which permits access to a broad beam neutron flux exceeding 4 x 10[sup ll] Cm[sup -2]s[sup- 1] at the operational power of 1 MW. The collimated beam emerges horizontally onto an unenclosed test pad area on which shield mockups were assembled. The appropriate beam filter and collimator system can be easily constructed in the expansive area previously used for the large shield mockups. Additional engineering of the beam shutter mechanism and the construction of treatment support facilities will be needed but can be easily accommodated on the remote dedicated site. The filter design analysis is provided.
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Ingersoll, D. T.; Slater, C. O. & Williams, L. R.BNCT filter design studies for the ORNL Tower Shielding Facility,
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December 31, 1996;
Tennessee.
(https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc680413/:
accessed July 16, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu;
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