Animal irradiation system and irradiation fixture

Abstract

The present invention provides an animal irradiation system and an irradiation fixing device thereof, which can fix and irradiate multiple irradiated bodies at the same time, thereby improving the experimental efficiency. The animal irradiation system of the present invention comprises a radiation source and an irradiation fixing device, wherein the radiation source comprises a beam outlet, and the radiation generated by the radiation source comes out of the beam outlet to irradiate the irradiated body in the irradiation fixing device, and the radiation coming out of the beam outlet defines a main axis around a first central axis, and the irradiation fixing device comprises a box body for accommodating the irradiated body, the box body has a second central axis, and the box body is circumferentially divided into a plurality of accommodating cavities around the second central axis, each accommodating cavity is used to accommodate an irradiated body, and a plurality of first irradiation holes corresponding to each accommodating cavity are arranged on the box body, and the radiation generated by the radiation source irradiates the irradiated body in the accommodating cavity through the first irradiation hole, and the maximum distance from the inner wall of the first irradiation hole to the first central axis is less than the minimum distance from the inner wall of the beam outlet to the first central axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] On one hand, the present invention relates to a radiation irradiation system, in particular to an animal irradiation system; on the other hand, the present invention relates to an irradiated object fixing device, in particular to an irradiation fixing device used in an animal irradiation system. Background Art

[0002] With the development of atomic science, radiation therapy such as cobalt-60, linear accelerator, and electron beam has become one of the main means of cancer treatment. However, traditional photon or electron therapy is limited by the physical conditions of radiation itself. While killing tumor cells, it will also cause damage to a large number of normal tissues along the beam path. In addition, due to the different sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation, traditional radiotherapy is often not effective in treating malignant tumors that are more resistant to radiation (such as glioblastoma multiforme and melanoma).

[0003] In order to reduce radiation damage to normal tissues around tumors, the concept of targeted therapy in chemotherapy has been applied to radiotherapy; and for tumor cells with high radiation resistance, radiation sources with high relative biological effectiveness (RBE) are also being actively developed, such as proton therapy, heavy particle therapy, neutron capture therapy, etc. Among them, neutron capture therapy is a combination of the above two concepts, such as boron neutron capture therapy, which provides a better cancer treatment option than traditional radiation by specifically aggregating boron-containing drugs in tumor cells and coordinating precise neutron beam control.

[0004] Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a therapy that uses boron-containing 10 B) The drug has a high capture cross section for thermal neutrons. 10 B(n,α) 7 Li neutron capture and nuclear fission reaction production 4 He and 7 Li two heavily charged particles. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , which respectively show the schematic diagram of the boron neutron capture reaction and 10 B(n,α) 7 Li neutron capture nuclear reaction equation, the average energy of the two charged particles is about 2.33MeV, with high linear energy transfer (Linear Energy Transfer, LET) and short range characteristics. The linear energy transfer and range of alpha particles are 150keV / μm and 8μm respectively. 7The range of Li heavy-charged particles is 175keV / μm and 5μm. The total range of the two particles is approximately equivalent to the size of a cell. Therefore, the radiation damage caused to the organism can be limited to the cellular level. When boron-containing drugs selectively accumulate in tumor cells and are combined with appropriate neutron radiation sources, they can achieve the purpose of locally killing tumor cells without causing too much damage to normal tissues.

[0005] In order to study the biological effects of radiation and verify the effectiveness of radiotherapy, animal irradiation experiments are required before clinical treatment. During the experiment, it is usually necessary to fix and irradiate multiple animals in the same group at the same time to conduct relevant irradiation research. Summary of the invention

[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an irradiation fixture for an animal irradiation system, the animal irradiation system comprising a radiation source, the radiation source comprising a beam outlet, the radiation generated by the radiation source coming out of the beam outlet to irradiate an irradiated body in the irradiation fixture, the radiation coming out of the beam outlet defines a main axis around a first central axis, the irradiation fixture comprises a box body for accommodating the irradiated body, the box body has a second central axis, the box body is circumferentially divided into a plurality of accommodating cavities around the second central axis, each of the accommodating cavities is used to accommodate an irradiated body, a plurality of first irradiation holes corresponding to each of the accommodating cavities are arranged on the box body, the radiation generated by the radiation source is irradiated to the irradiated body in the accommodating cavity through the first irradiation holes, the maximum distance from the inner wall of the first irradiation hole to the first central axis is less than the minimum distance from the inner wall of the beam outlet to the first central axis, so that all the first irradiation holes are located within the irradiation range of the radiation source, multiple irradiated bodies can be irradiated simultaneously, and the experimental efficiency is improved.

[0007] As a preference, the second central axis is consistent with the first central axis, or is parallel to or inclined to each other.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, the second central axis is consistent with the first central axis, the multiple accommodating cavities are evenly distributed circumferentially around the second central axis, the multiple first irradiation holes have the same setting, and the distances from the multiple first irradiation holes to the second central axis are equal, so that all irradiated objects in the comparative experiment in the irradiation fixture receive the same radiation dose.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment, the first irradiation hole has a third central axis, and the radial distance of the inner wall of the first irradiation hole from the third central axis in the direction of the radiation gradually decreases. In this way, the neutron beam is focused on the to-be-irradiated part of the irradiated body. Furthermore, the third central axis is parallel to the second central axis.

[0010] Preferably, the box body includes a base and a cover plate, the base includes a bottom plate and a partition plate, the partition plate is a plurality of protrusions extending from the bottom plate or the cover plate in a direction parallel to the second center axis and distributed circumferentially around the second center axis, and the box body is circumferentially divided into the plurality of accommodating cavities by the partition plate around the second center axis.

[0011] Furthermore, the first irradiation holes are circumferentially distributed around the second central axis and are arranged on one of the bottom plate and the cover plate, and the first irradiation holes extend through in a direction parallel to the second central axis so as to communicate with each of the accommodating cavities. Furthermore, the other of the bottom plate and the cover plate is provided with a vent hole extending in a direction parallel to the second central axis to facilitate breathing of the irradiated body and to conduct irradiation experiments in a living body or under anesthesia.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, the irradiation fixing device further comprises a fixing tube, which is detachably mounted in the accommodating cavity, and comprises a tube body accommodating the irradiated object and a fixing mechanism fixing the irradiated object in the tube body, and a second irradiation hole is arranged on the tube body, and the radiation generated by the radiation source irradiates the irradiated object through the first and second irradiation holes. The fixing tube is used to limit the position of the irradiated object in the radiation fixing device, so that the positioning of the irradiated object is more convenient and quick, and the irradiated object does not need anesthesia, so more accurate experimental data can be obtained.

[0013] Furthermore, the fixing mechanism comprises a fixing sleeve and a locking piece arranged in the tube body, the fixing sleeve is used to fix a preset position of the irradiated object, and the fixing sleeve can move in the tube body and be fixed in position by the locking piece.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the irradiation fixture is made of organic glass material, which has a certain strength and produces a short half-life of radioactive isotopes after being activated by neutrons, thereby reducing the radiation dose caused to the non-irradiated parts of the irradiated body. Furthermore, the material of the irradiation fixture is transparent, which is convenient for observing the state of the irradiated body; or the material of the irradiation fixture is made into a hollow structure, which is used to fill a material that can shield neutrons or photons, such as lithium carbonate, lithium fluoride or boron-containing compounds, to maximize the reduction of non-selective dose deposition in normal tissues, reduce the radiation dose caused to the non-irradiated parts of the irradiated body, and make the experimental results more accurate.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention provides an animal irradiation system, comprising a radiation source and the above-mentioned irradiation fixture, wherein the irradiation fixture is fixed relative to the radiation source, and the radiation source is used to generate radiation and irradiate the irradiated object in the irradiation fixture.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, the radiation source includes a neutron generator, a beam shaper and a collimator, the neutron generator is used to generate a neutron beam, the beam shaper is used to adjust the beam quality of the neutron beam, the collimator is used to converge the neutron beam and form the beam outlet, the neutron beam generated by the neutron generator is sequentially irradiated to the irradiated object in the irradiation fixture through the beam shaper and the collimator, and the irradiation fixture is detachably connected to the collimator.

[0017] Furthermore, the neutron generating device comprises an accelerator and a target material, wherein the accelerator is used to accelerate protons and generate proton beams, and the proton beams irradiate the target material and interact with the target material to generate neutrons.

[0018] The animal irradiation system and the irradiation fixing device thereof of the present invention can fix and irradiate multiple irradiated objects at the same time, thereby improving the experimental efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the boron neutron capture reaction.

[0020] Figure 2 yes 10 B(n,α) 7 Li neutron capture nuclear reaction equation.

[0021] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of an animal irradiation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structural breakdown of the irradiation fixture in the animal irradiation system.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the fixed tube in the irradiation fixture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can implement the invention with reference to the description.

[0025] like Figure 3 The animal irradiation system 100 includes a radiation source 10 and an irradiation fixture 20. The radiation source 10 is used to generate radiation and includes a beam outlet OUT. The irradiation fixture 20 is used to accommodate an irradiated object 200. During irradiation, the irradiated object 200 is first positioned in the irradiation fixture 20, and then the irradiation fixture 20 is fixed relative to the radiation source 10. Then, the radiation source 10 is controlled to generate radiation and irradiate the radiation from the beam outlet OUT to the irradiated object 200 in the irradiation fixture 20.

[0026] In this embodiment, the animal irradiation system 100 is a boron neutron capture therapy system, and the radiation source 10 includes a neutron generator 11, a beam shaper 12, and a collimator 13. The neutron generator 11 is used to generate a neutron beam N. The neutron generator 11 includes an accelerator 111 and a target material T. The accelerator 111 accelerates charged particles (such as protons, deuterons, etc.) to generate a charged particle line P such as a proton line. The charged particle line P irradiates the target material T and reacts with the target material T to generate neutrons, and the neutrons form a neutron beam N. Suitable nuclear reactions can be selected based on the required neutron yield and energy, the energy and current of accelerated charged particles that can be provided, the physical and chemical properties of the target material, and the specific structure of the accelerator and the target material will not be described in detail here. The beam shaper 12 is used to adjust the beam quality of the neutron beam N, and the collimator 13 is used to converge the neutron beam N so that the neutron beam N has a higher targeting in the treatment process. The collimator 13 forms a beam outlet OUT, and the neutron beam N coming out of the beam outlet OUT defines a main axis around the central axis X. The neutron beam N generated by the neutron generator 11 is sequentially irradiated to the irradiated body 200 in the irradiation fixture 20 through the beam shaper 12 and the collimator 13. The direction of the neutron beam N shown in the figure and described below does not represent the actual neutron movement direction, but represents the direction of the overall movement trend of the neutron beam N. It can be understood that the neutron generator 11 can also have other structures, such as not using an accelerator neutron source; the structure of the beam shaper 20 and the collimator 30 is not described in detail here. It can be understood that the radiation source 10 can be used for the treatment of tumor patients at the same time after the animal irradiation experiment; the radiation source can also have other structures, such as including other radiation generating devices, or not having a beam shaper or a collimator.

[0027] The irradiation fixture 20 includes a box body 21 for accommodating an irradiated object 200. The box body 21 has a central axis Y. The box body 21 is circumferentially divided into a plurality of accommodating cavities C around the central axis Y. Each accommodating cavity C is used to accommodate an irradiated object 200 (such as a mouse. It is understandable that other animals suitable for irradiation experiments can also be selected). When irradiating, the irradiated object 200 can be loaded into the corresponding accommodating cavity C as needed. Only one irradiated object 200 is schematically shown in the figure. A plurality of first irradiation holes 22 corresponding to each accommodating cavity C are arranged on the box body 21. The radiation from the radiation source 10 irradiates the irradiated object in the accommodating cavity C through the first irradiation holes 22. The maximum distance R1 from the inner wall of the first irradiation hole 22 to the central axis X is less than the minimum distance R2 from the inner wall of the beam outlet OUT to the central axis X, that is, all the first irradiation holes 22 are located within the irradiation range of the radiation source 10. The irradiation fixture 20 of the present application can fix and irradiate multiple irradiated objects at the same time, thereby improving the experimental efficiency. In this embodiment, after the irradiation fixture 20 is fixed relative to the radiation source 10, the central axis Y is consistent with the central axis X of the beam outlet OUT, and the multiple accommodating cavities C are evenly distributed around the central axis Y. The multiple first irradiation holes 22 have the same settings and the same distances to the central axis Y, that is, the multiple first irradiation holes 22 have the same distances to the central axis X, so that all irradiated objects in the comparative experiment in the irradiation fixture 20 receive the same radiation dose. It can be understood that according to different experimental requirements, there can also be other settings, such as the central axis Y and the central axis X can also be parallel or inclined to each other. In this embodiment, the first irradiation hole 22 has a central axis Z (such as Figure 4 ), the first irradiation hole 22 extends in a cone around the central axis Z, that is, the radial distance of the inner wall of the first irradiation hole 22 from the central axis Z of the first irradiation hole 22 in the direction of the neutron beam N gradually decreases, so that the neutron beam is focused on the part to be irradiated of the irradiated body; the first irradiation hole 22 extends in a direction parallel to the central axis Y, that is, the central axis Z is parallel to the central axis Y; it can be understood that there may be other arrangements.

[0028] See also Figure 4The box body 21 of the irradiation fixture 20 includes a base 211 and a cover plate 212, and the base 211 further includes a bottom plate 2111 and a partition plate 2112. The bottom plate 2111 and the cover plate 212 have a central axis that is the same as the central axis Y of the box body 21. The partition plate 2112 is a plurality of protrusions extending from the bottom plate 2111 in a direction parallel to the central axis Y and distributed circumferentially around the central axis Y. The box body 21 is divided into a plurality of accommodating cavities C circumferentially around the central axis Y by the partition plate 2112. The first irradiation holes 22 are circumferentially distributed around the central axis Y on the bottom plate 2111, and extend through the bottom plate 2111 in a direction parallel to the central axis Y so as to communicate with each accommodating cavity C. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 2111 and the cover plate 212 are flat plates. The bottom plate 2111 has a first plate surface S1 opposite to the cover plate 212 and a second plate surface S2 opposite to the cover plate 212. The cover plate 212 has a third plate surface S3 opposite to the bottom plate 2111 and a fourth plate surface S4 opposite to the bottom plate 2111. The first, second, third, and fourth plate surfaces S1-S4 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the central axis Y of the box body 21, that is, the neutron beam N is perpendicular to the plate surface. The partition 2112 extends from the first plate surface S1 of the bottom plate 2111 and has a fifth plate surface S5 perpendicular to the central axis Y of the box body 21. It can be understood that other arrangements can also be used. In this embodiment, the partition 2112, the accommodating cavity C, and the first irradiation hole 22 are all 8 and are evenly distributed around the central axis Y. It can be understood that other arrangements can also be used. The partition 2112 and the bottom plate 2111 can be integrated, or fixedly connected by bonding or the like; after the irradiated body is loaded into the accommodating chamber C and positioned, the cover plate 212 is fixed to the base 211. The fixing method is not specifically limited and may be threaded connection, bonding, etc. After fixation, the fifth plate surface S5 of the partition 2112 contacts the third plate surface S3 of the cover plate 212 for positioning; the cover plate 212 may also be provided with air holes (not shown) that pass through in the direction of the central axis Y. The shape, position, number, etc. of the air holes are not specifically limited. For example, the air holes may be provided at a position corresponding to the accommodating chamber C to facilitate the breathing of the irradiated body and to conduct irradiation experiments in a living body or under anesthesia.

[0029] It can be understood that the positions of the first irradiation hole 22 and the air vent can also be interchanged, such as the first irradiation hole 22 is set at the position corresponding to the accommodating cavity C on the cover plate 212, and the air vent is set at the position corresponding to the accommodating cavity C on the bottom plate 2111; the outer contours of the bottom plate 2111 and the cover plate 212 in the direction perpendicular to the central axis Y can be made into any one of a rectangle, a square and a circle as needed, and in this embodiment, they are square; the outer contour of the partition plate 2112 in the direction perpendicular to the central axis Y is roughly a triangle, and adjacent partition plates 2112 have mutually parallel side walls A1 and A2 to form the accommodating cavity C. It can be understood that other structures can also be provided, such as the partition plate 2112 can also be provided on the bottom plate 2111 and the cover plate 212 at the same time, and the cross section of the accommodating cavity C is circular, etc.; the cross section of the first irradiation hole 22 in the direction perpendicular to the central axis Y is circular, and it can be understood that other shapes can also be provided. It can be understood that the box body 21 can also have other structures, and the present invention does not specifically limit this.

[0030] After the irradiated part of the irradiated body 200 (such as the tumor tissue of a mouse) is aligned with the first irradiation hole 22, the irradiated body 200 can be directly fixed in the accommodating cavity C by means of tape or the like, or the irradiated body 200 can be positioned and installed in the accommodating cavity C by means of a fixing tube or the like. In this embodiment, the irradiation fixing device 20 also includes a fixing tube 23, which is used to position the irradiated body 200 and align the irradiated part thereof with the first irradiation hole 22. At the same time, the fixing tube 23 can be detachably installed in the accommodating cavity C, and the irradiated body 200 can be individually limited outside the box body 21. After the limitation is completed, the fixing tube 23 containing the irradiated body 200 can be installed in the box body 21; one fixing tube 23 can be arranged in each accommodating cavity C, Figure 4 Only one fixed tube is shown in the figure. When in use, according to specific needs, the fixed tube 23 is installed in one or more accommodating cavities C and the irradiated object 200 that needs to be irradiated is set in the fixed tube 23.

[0031] See also Figure 5 The fixing tube 23 includes a tube body 231 for accommodating the irradiated object 200 and a fixing mechanism 232 for fixing the irradiated object in the tube body 231. A second irradiation hole 233 is arranged on the tube body 231. The position of the irradiated object 200 is limited by the fixing mechanism 232 so that the part to be irradiated corresponds to the second irradiation hole 233. After the fixing tube 23 is loaded into the accommodating cavity C, the second irradiation hole 233 corresponds to the first irradiation hole 22. The radiation generated by the radiation source 10 irradiates the irradiated object 200 through the first and second irradiation holes 22 and 233, that is, the neutron beam N can directly irradiate the part to be irradiated of the irradiated object 200.

[0032] The fixing mechanism 232 includes a fixing sleeve 2321 and a locking member 2322 disposed in the tube body 231. The fixing sleeve 2321 is used to fix a preset position of the irradiated body 200. The fixing sleeve 2321 can move in the tube body 231 and be fixed in position by the locking member 2322 to locate it at a desired position, i.e., the position where the part to be irradiated corresponds to the second irradiation hole 233. In this embodiment, the fixing sleeve 2321 is used to fix the head of the mouse. The fixing sleeve 2321 has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the mouse head, which can prevent the mouse from passing through and restrict the mouse's activities, or at least a portion of the mouse's head can be stuck in the inner diameter of the fixing sleeve 2321. In this embodiment, the locking member 2322 includes a sliding groove 2322a provided on the wall of the tube body 231, a threaded rod 2322b passing through the sliding groove 2322a and fixedly connected to the fixing sleeve 2321, and a nut 2322c. The nut 2322c is provided outside the tube body 231 and is threadedly connected to the threaded rod 2322b. The fixing sleeve 2321 is fixed relative to the tube body 231 after the nut 2322c is rotated and tightened. After loosening, the fixing sleeve 2321 can be moved along the sliding groove 2322 by holding the nut 2322c. a slides in the tube body 231; in this embodiment, the sliding groove 2322a extends from one end 231a of the tube body 231, that is, one end of the sliding groove 2322a is open in a U shape, and the fixing sleeve 2321 can slide out of the tube body 231 along the sliding groove 2322a to fix the irradiated body 200 relative to the fixing sleeve 2321, which is more convenient. It can be understood that the sliding groove 2322a may not be open, then it is necessary to directly put the irradiated body 200 into the tube body 231 and fix the irradiated body 200 through the fixing sleeve 2321. It can be understood that the fixing mechanism can have other settings, such as setting a threaded hole on the fixing sleeve 2321, and the screw passes through the sliding groove 2322a to connect with the threaded hole; an end plate 2323 can also be set at the other end 231b of the tube body 231, and locked in the same way as the fixing sleeve 2321, so that the tube body 231 is relatively closed to prevent the irradiated object 200 from escaping; an opening can also be set on the end plate 2323, and the mouse's tail can pass through the opening, which provides convenience for tail vein injection and blood drawing; the end plate 2323 can also be replaced by a second fixing sleeve, which can be adjusted according to the length of the irradiated object 200 to better limit the activity of the irradiated object and avoid interference with the experiment due to the movement of the animal.

[0033] In this embodiment, the tube body 231 has a central axis W. After the fixed tube 23 is installed in the accommodating cavity C, the central axis W is perpendicular to the central axis Y of the box body 21; the cross section of the tube body 231 perpendicular to the central axis W can be a ring or other shapes; the tube body 231 can also be provided with a vent hole (not shown in the figure), and the shape, position, number, etc. of the vent hole are not specifically limited; there can be multiple second irradiation holes 233, and the irradiated part of the irradiated body 200 to be irradiated can correspond to any second irradiation hole 233, which is more convenient. The second irradiation hole 233 that is not used as a radiation passing through during irradiation can also be used as a vent hole. It can be understood that the fixed tube 23 can also have other structural methods. The present application uses the fixed tube 23 to limit the irradiated body 200 in the radiation fixing device 20, and the positioning of the irradiated body 200 is more convenient and quick. At the same time, the irradiated body 200 does not need anesthesia, and more accurate experimental data can be obtained.

[0034] The neutron source of boron neutron capture therapy produces a mixed radiation field, that is, the beam contains low-energy to high-energy neutrons and photons; for boron neutron capture therapy of deep tumors, the more radiation content except epithermal neutrons, the greater the proportion of non-selective dose deposition in normal tissues, so these radiations that will cause unnecessary doses should be reduced as much as possible. In one embodiment, the irradiation fixture 20 is made of organic glass, such as the bottom plate 2111, the partition plate 2112, the cover plate 212 of the box body 21 and the tube body 231, the fixing sleeve 2322, the end plate 2323 of the fixing tube 23, etc., which have a certain strength and the radioactive isotope half-life produced after being activated by neutrons is short, thereby reducing the radiation dose caused to the non-irradiated parts of the irradiated body. It can be understood that it can also be other materials that can shield neutrons or photons; the material of the irradiation fixture 20 can also be transparent to facilitate observation of the state of the irradiated body; the material of the irradiation fixture 40 can also be made into a hollow structure, which is used to fill the hollow structure with materials that can shield neutrons or photons, such as lithium carbonate, lithium fluoride or boron-containing compounds, so as to maximize the reduction of non-selective dose deposition in normal tissues and reduce the radiation dose caused to the non-irradiated parts of the irradiated body, so as to make the experimental results more accurate.

[0035] After the irradiated body 200 is positioned in the fixing tube 23, the fixing tube 23 is installed in the accommodating cavity C. There are also various ways to fix the fixing tube 23 in the accommodating cavity C, such as bonding, plugging, hook connection, threaded connection, etc. In one embodiment, the fixing tube 23 is fixed in the accommodating cavity C by a groove limiting method. For example, an L-shaped groove is opened in the bottom plate 2111, and the width of the groove is just enough to accommodate the nut 2322c on the fixing tube 23. The fixing tube 23 is placed in the accommodating cavity C, and the nut 2322c slides along one side of the L-shaped groove, and then rotates along the other side to axially limit the fixing tube 23 in the direction of the central axis W. A biasing force can be applied in the circumferential direction around the central axis W by a spring or the like.

[0036] It can be understood that a column can also be set at the center of the first plate surface S1 of the bottom plate 2111, and the height of the column in the direction parallel to the central axis Y (the distance to the first plate surface S1) is less than or equal to the height of the fifth plate surface S5 of the partition 2112 in the direction parallel to the central axis Y (the distance to the first plate surface S1), and the screw passes through the center of the cover plate 212 and is threadedly connected to the column, so that the base 211 and the cover plate 212 are fixed together, and the column can also assist in limiting the irradiated body 200 or the fixing tube 23. The irradiation fixing device 20 in this embodiment has a simple structure and is easy to install. It can fix multiple irradiated bodies 200 for irradiation at the same time. It can be understood that the irradiation fixing device 20 can also have other structures.

[0037] Finally, the irradiation fixture 20 with the irradiated object 200 is fixed relative to the radiation source 10. There are many ways to fix it, such as bonding, plugging, hook connection, thread connection, etc. In this embodiment, the irradiation fixture 20 can be detachably connected to the collimator 13 ( Figure 3 Only the state that the irradiation fixture 20 and the collimator 13 are not connected is shown in the figure), which is convenient for disassembling and replacing the irradiation fixture, such as the second plate surface S2 of the bottom plate 2111 is connected to the end of the collimator 13 facing the neutron beam N. It can be understood that the irradiation fixture 20 can also be fixed to other positions of the radiation source 10; it can also be not directly fixed to the radiation source 10, such as fixed to the corresponding position of the ground or wall.

[0038] The following describes the irradiation experiment process of boron neutron capture therapy on the irradiated body (taking mice as an example) in combination with the embodiments of the present invention as follows:

[0039] First, inject boron medicine into the mouse and then put it into the fixed tube 23. Loosen the nut 2322c on the fixed tube 23, hold the nut 2322c to slide the fixed sleeve 2321 out of the tube body 231 along the sliding groove 2322a, fix the mouse head in the fixed sleeve 2321 and ensure that the part to be irradiated is on the side corresponding to the second radiation hole 233. Put the mouse and the fixed sleeve 2321 into the tube body 231, hold the nut 2322c to adjust the sliding position of the fixed sleeve 2321 to ensure that the part to be irradiated is consistent with the second radiation hole 233, and tighten the nut 2322c to lock the position of the fixed sleeve 2321. Install the end plate 2323 and lock it, and take the mouse tail out of the opening 2323a of the end plate 2323. If the mouse is too small, fillers can be added between the end plate 2323 and the mouse.

[0040] Next, the fixing tube 23 containing the mouse is placed in the accommodating chamber C for positioning. At this time, the part of the mouse to be irradiated corresponds to the first and second irradiation holes 22 and 233 , and the cover plate 212 is fixedly connected to the base 211 .

[0041] Finally, the radiation fixture 20 is fixed to the collimator 13, so that the first irradiation hole 22 faces the beam outlet OUT, and the central axis Y is consistent with the central axis X. A proton beam with an energy of 1.881MeV-30MeV is used to react with the target material T to generate a neutron beam N, which passes through the beam shaper 12 and the collimator 13 and comes out from the beam outlet OUT, and then passes through the first and second irradiation holes 22 and 233 to irradiate the mouse tumor tissue in the radiation fixture 20 for boron neutron capture therapy.

[0042] The irradiation fixture disclosed by the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments and the structures shown in the drawings. Any obvious changes, substitutions or modifications made to the materials, shapes and positions of the components thereof based on the present invention are within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An irradiation fixture for an animal irradiation system, the animal irradiation system comprising a radiation source, the radiation source comprising a beam outlet, the radiation generated by the radiation source exiting from the beam outlet and irradiating toward an irradiated object in the irradiation fixture, the radiation exiting from the beam outlet defining a main axis around a first central axis, characterized in that: The irradiation fixing device includes a box body for accommodating the irradiated object, the box body has a second central axis, the box body is circumferentially divided into a plurality of accommodating cavities around the second central axis, each of the accommodating cavities is used to accommodate an irradiated object, and a plurality of first irradiation holes corresponding to each of the accommodating cavities are arranged on the box body, the radiation generated by the radiation source is irradiated to the irradiated object in the accommodating cavity through the first irradiation holes, the maximum distance from the inner wall of the first irradiation hole to the first central axis is less than the minimum distance from the inner wall of the beam outlet to the first central axis, the irradiation fixing device also includes a fixing tube, the fixing tube is detachably installed in the accommodating cavity, the fixing tube includes a tube body for accommodating the irradiated object and a fixing mechanism for fixing the irradiated object in the tube body, the tube body is provided with a second irradiation hole, the radiation generated by the radiation source is irradiated to the irradiated object through the first and second irradiation holes.

2. The irradiation fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second central axis is consistent with the first central axis, the plurality of accommodating cavities are evenly distributed circumferentially around the second central axis, the plurality of first irradiation holes have the same arrangement, and the distances from the plurality of first irradiation holes to the second central axis are equal.

3. The irradiation fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first irradiation hole has a third central axis, and the radial distance of the inner wall of the first irradiation hole from the third central axis in the radiation direction gradually decreases.

4. The irradiation fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body includes a base and a cover plate, the base includes a bottom plate and a partition plate, the partition plate is a plurality of protrusions extending from the bottom plate or the cover plate in a direction parallel to the second central axis and distributed circumferentially around the second central axis, and the box body is circumferentially divided into the plurality of accommodating cavities by the partition plate around the second central axis.

5. The irradiation fixing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first irradiation holes are distributed circumferentially around the second central axis and are arranged on one of the bottom plate and the cover plate. The first irradiation holes extend through in a direction parallel to the second central axis so as to communicate with each of the accommodating cavities.

6. The irradiation fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing mechanism comprises a fixing sleeve and a locking piece arranged in the tube body, wherein the fixing sleeve is used to fix a preset position of the irradiated object, and the fixing sleeve can move in the tube body and be fixed in position by the locking piece.

7. An animal irradiation system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a radiation source and an irradiation fixture as claimed in any one of the above claims, wherein the irradiation fixture is fixed relative to the radiation source, and the radiation source is used to generate radiation and irradiate the radiation to an irradiated object in the irradiation fixture.

8. The animal irradiation system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The radiation source includes a neutron generator, a beam shaper and a collimator. The neutron generator is used to generate a neutron beam. The beam shaper is used to adjust the beam quality of the neutron beam. The collimator is used to converge the neutron beam and form the beam outlet. The neutron beam generated by the neutron generator passes through the beam shaper and the collimator in sequence to irradiate the irradiated object in the irradiation fixture. The irradiation fixture is detachably connected to the collimator.

9. The animal irradiation system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The neutron generating device comprises an accelerator and a target material. The accelerator is used to accelerate protons and generate proton beams. The proton beams irradiate the target material and interact with the target material to generate neutrons.

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