Irradiation method and system
AssigneesAustralian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, University of Wollongong
InventorsMitra Safavi-Naeini, Andrew Stephen Chacon
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Abstract
An irradiation method and system for irradiating a target volume, the method comprising: providing thermal neutron absorbing nuclides (such as in the form of a high neutron cross-section agent) at the target volume; and producing neutrons by irradiating nuclei in or adjacent to the target volume with a beam of particles consisting of any one or more of protons, deuterons, tritons and heavy ions, thereby prompting production of the neutrons through non-elastic collisions between the atoms in the path of the beam (including the target) and the particles. The neutron absorbing nuclides absorb neutrons produced in the non-elastic collisions, thereby producing capture products or fragments that irradiate the target volume.
Claims19
An irradiation method for irradiating a target volume of a subject, the method comprising:
- providing thermal neutron absorbing nuclides in or adjacent to the target volume of the subject;
- and
- producing neutrons by irradiating nuclei of the subject with a beam of particles consisting of any one or more of deuterons, tritons, 4He, 10C, 11C, 12C, 15O, 16O and heavy ions, thereby prompting production of the neutrons in the subject through non-elastic collisions within the subject between the nuclei and the particles;
- wherein the thermal neutron absorbing nuclides absorb neutrons produced in the non-elastic collisions, thereby producing capture products or fragments that irradiate the target volume.
A method of inhibiting growth of any one or more of a tumour, satellite lesion or metastatic lesion of a subject, the method comprising:
- dosing the subject in or adjacent to the tumour, satellite lesion or metastatic lesion with a composition comprising thermal neutron absorbing nuclides;
- and
- irradiating nuclei of the subject with a beam of particles consisting of any one or more of deuterons, tritons, 4He, 10C, 11C, 12C, 15O, 16O and heavy ions, thereby producing neutrons in the subject through non-elastic collisions within the subject between the nuclei and the particles;
- wherein the thermal neutron absorbing nuclides absorb neutrons produced in the non-elastic collisions, thereby producing capture products or fragments that irradiate the tumour, satellite lesion or metastatic lesion.
A computer-implemented method of determining parameters for particle therapy of a subject, the method comprising:
- modelling or simulating, based on a set of default or selected parameters:
- a) irradiation of nuclei of the subject with a beam of primary particles consisting of any one or more of deuterons, tritons, 4He, 1C, 11C, 12C, 15O, 16O and heavy ions;
- b) production of neutrons in the subject through non-elastic collisions within the subject between the nuclei in or adjacent to the target volume and the primary particles;
- and
- c) production of capture products or fragments released as a result of the neutron capture and nuclear reactions between at least one high thermal neutron cross section agent located in or adjacent to a target volume of the subject and the neutrons produced from the non-elastic collisions within the subject between the nuclei and the primary particles;
- determining a difference between the production of the capture products or fragments with either (i) a predetermined template or desired production of the capture products or fragments, or (ii) empirical reaction validation data;
- and
- generating a modified set of parameters according to the difference.
A control system for controlling an irradiation system, wherein:
- the irradiation system provides a particle beam of accelerated particles comprising any one or more of any one or more of deuterons, tritons, 4He, 10C, 11C, 12C, 15O, 16O and heavy ions;
- and
- the control system includes or is configured to access an irradiation program for implementing a predetermined irradiation of a target volume of a subject, the predetermined irradiation comprising:
- irradiating nuclei of the subject with the particle beam, thereby prompting production of neutrons in the subject through non-elastic collisions within the subject between the nuclei and the particles, whereby thermal neutron absorbing nuclides provided before irradiation at or adjacent to the target volume absorb neutrons produced in the non-elastic collisions, thereby producing capture products or fragments that irradiate the target volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.