Neutron source for neutron capture therapy

US10799722B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Adelphi Technology, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Melvin Arthur Piestrup · Redwood City, US
• Craig Mathew Brown · Santa Clara, US
• Allan Xi Chen · Daly City, US
• Charles Kevin Gary · Palo Alto, US
• Yao Zong Guan · San Francisco, US
• Yoshio Horii · Fukushima, JP
• Glenn Emerson Jones, Jr. · Pittsburg, US
• Yuji Kokubo · Fukushima, JP
• Naoyuki Yamada · Hitachinaka, JP
• Shotaro Komura · Fukushima, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 26, 2020
• Grant date: Oct 13, 2020
• Expiry date: Feb 26, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N2005/1095
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A Boron neutron cancer treatment system has a secondary moderator having a central treatment chamber, and several generators, each comprising a pre-moderator block, an acceleration chamber, a vacuum pump engaging the acceleration chamber at a right angle, a plasma ion chamber opening into the acceleration chamber, a gas source providing deuterium gas to the plasma ion chamber, a microwave energy source ionizing the gas in the plasma ion chamber, a cylindrical primary isolation well extending into the pre-moderator block, a secondary isolation well surrounding the primary isolation well, and a water-cooled titanium target disk at a lower extremity of the isolation well. The neutron generators are positioned around the secondary moderator with the axis of each acceleration chamber passing through the center of the treatment chamber, and with the angled sides of the neutron generators fully adjacent.