Neutron conversion target and neutron capture therapy system having the same

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of neutron conversion target and the neutron capture treatment system with it, neutron conversion target includes: coating pool, is defined with containing cavity, containing cavity contains liquid target material;Transmission piece, at least a part of transmission piece is located in containing cavity, at least a part of transmission piece is located in the bombardable area of beam, transmission piece is coated to transmission piece with the liquid target material in containing cavity to form target face, and transmission piece is transmitted to the bombardable area of beam;Temperature control system, for controlling the temperature of liquid target material located in containing cavity;Driving assembly, for driving transmission piece to make continuous orbit motion between containing cavity and bombardable area. According to the neutron conversion target of the utility model embodiment, by transmission piece in bombardable area and coating pool inside making orbit motion, not only can realize target material ceaselessly supply, and transmission piece and target material can be cooled rapidly, avoid the same position of beam sustained bombardment target face and lead to target face temperature excessively high, reduce the evaporation loss of target material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of neutron therapy technology, specifically relating to a neutron conversion target and a neutron capture therapy system having the same. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, proton accelerator-based BNCT generally uses solid targets. When protons bombard a solid target to produce neutrons, a large amount of heat is deposited on the target, causing the target material temperature to rise rapidly. When using 80kW protons to bombard the target surface, there is severe evaporation loss, which leads to a serious shortage of target material. Existing target cooling and heat dissipation technologies have not effectively solved the above problems. In addition, targets are more prone to damage and failure under high power.

[0003] To address the technical problems of existing solid-state targets, patent CN201922254176.0 proposes a liquid target material, which involves transporting the liquid target through a pipeline to a fixed liquid lithium target device to achieve a continuous supply of liquid lithium to the target surface. However, since the liquid lithium target device is fixed in the lithium target chamber and continuously bombarded by the beam, it cannot be cooled individually. As a result, the liquid lithium target device accumulates a lot of heat and has a high temperature, which causes the liquid lithium flowing through the device to evaporate rapidly. In addition, the liquid lithium target alone is prone to splashing due to airflow jets during the phase transition caused by particle bombardment, resulting in waste of target material, low target utilization efficiency, and contamination of the target chamber, among other problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this utility model embodiment is to provide a neutron conversion target and a neutron capture therapy system having the same, in order to solve the problems of poor heat dissipation, serious target material evaporation, and low target material utilization efficiency in the prior art, whether it is a solid target or a liquid target.

[0005] This invention provides a neutron conversion target and a neutron capture therapy system having the same.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a neutron conversion target has a target surface that can be bombarded by a beam, the neutron conversion target comprising:

[0007] A coating pool is defined with a receiving cavity containing a liquid target material;

[0008] A transmission element, at least a portion of which is located within the receiving cavity, and at least a portion of which is located within the bombardable region of the beam, wherein the transmission element coats the liquid target material within the receiving cavity in the form of a thin film onto the transmission element to form the target surface, and transmits the target surface to the bombardable region of the beam;

[0009] A temperature control system is used to control the temperature of the liquid target material located within the receiving cavity;

[0010] A drive assembly for driving the transmission element to make continuous orbital motion between the receiving cavity and the bombardable zone.

[0011] Furthermore, the transmission component is a runway-shaped track, which has an inner side and an outer side. The inner side of the runway-shaped track cooperates with the drive assembly, and the outer side of the runway-shaped track is used to form the target surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the liquid target material is liquid lithium.

[0013] Furthermore, the racetrack-shaped track is formed as a metal woven belt; and / or, the side of the racetrack-shaped track used to form the target surface is coated with a film layer that wets the liquid target material; and / or, the side of the racetrack-shaped track used to contact the drive assembly is coated with a film layer that does not wet the liquid target material.

[0014] Furthermore, the driving component includes:

[0015] Multiple rollers are arranged at intervals on the inner side of the racetrack-shaped track, and the rollers rotate to drive the racetrack-shaped track to make continuous track movement between the receiving cavity and the bombardable zone;

[0016] A drive motor is used to drive at least one of the rollers to rotate.

[0017] Furthermore, the coating pool has an open end communicating with the receiving cavity at one end facing the bombardable region, and the neutron conversion target further includes:

[0018] A cover plate is provided on the open end, the cover plate defining an inlet for the transmission member to extend into the receiving cavity and an outlet for the transmission member to extend out of the receiving cavity.

[0019] Furthermore, the temperature control system includes at least:

[0020] A cooling system is provided for cooling the liquid target material near the inlet;

[0021] A heating system is used to heat the liquid target material within the receiving cavity;

[0022] A control system is connected to the cooling system and the heating system respectively to control the temperature of the liquid target material in the containment cavity by controlling the cooling system and the heating system.

[0023] Furthermore, the neutron conversion target also includes:

[0024] A partition is provided within the coating tank to separate the liquid target material near the inlet from the liquid target material near the outlet.

[0025] Furthermore, the neutron capture therapy system includes:

[0026] The shell defines the target cavity;

[0027] A vacuum system is used to evacuate the target cavity;

[0028] According to the neutron conversion target described in the above embodiments, the coating pool and the transmission element in the neutron conversion target are respectively located inside the target cavity;

[0029] A beam generating device for firing a beam into the target cavity to bombard the target surface located in the bombardable area.

[0030] Furthermore, the neutron capture therapy system also includes a differential pumping device and a focusing beam passing device.

[0031] According to the neutron conversion target of this utility model embodiment, the transmission component moves in an orbit within the bombardable zone and the coating pool, which not only enables a continuous supply of target material but also allows for rapid cooling of the transmission component and the target material. This avoids excessively high target surface temperature caused by continuous beam bombardment of the same location on the target surface, thereby reducing the evaporation loss of the target material. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a neutron conversion target according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of a neutron conversion target according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0035] Neutron conversion target 100;

[0036] Coating tank 10; liquid target material 11;

[0037] Transmitter 20;

[0038] Temperature control system 30; Cooling system 31; Heating system 32; Temperature control component 321; Heater 322; Control system 33; Thermocouple 331; Heat exchange component 34;

[0039] Drive assembly 40; roller 41; drive motor 42;

[0040] Cover plate 50;

[0041] Partition 60;

[0042] Storage cover 70;

[0043] Vacuum system 200; Target cavity 210;

[0044] Proton beam A; Neutron beam B; Bombardable region C. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0046] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this utility model can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0047] The following is combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2 The neutron conversion target 100 provided in this utility model embodiment will be described in detail through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0048] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0049] The neutron conversion target 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a target surface that can be bombarded by a beam. The neutron conversion target 100 includes a coating pool 10, a transmission component 20, a temperature control system 30, and a drive assembly 40.

[0050] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the coating tank 10 defines a receiving cavity containing a liquid target 11. At least a portion of the transport member 20 is located within the receiving cavity and at least a portion of the transport member 20 is located in the bombardable region C of the beam. The transport member 20 coats the liquid target 11 in the receiving cavity onto the transport member 20 to form a target surface and transports the target surface to the bombardable region C of the beam. The temperature control system 30 is used to control the temperature of the liquid target 11 located in the receiving cavity. The drive assembly 40 is used to drive the transport member 20 to make continuous orbital motion between the receiving cavity and the bombardable region C.

[0051] In other words, according to the neutron conversion target 100 of this embodiment, the transmission component 20 performs orbital motion. During the motion, a portion of the transmission component 20 always serves as the target surface in the beam-bombardable region C, while the other portion of the transmission component 20 is coated with a new target surface using liquid target material 11 in the coating pool 10. The coated target surface then moves with the transmission component 20 to the bombardable region C. Figure 1 The arrows indicate the direction of movement of the transport component 20. After being bombarded by the beam, the target surface returns to the coating tank 10 with the transport component 20 to be coated with a new target surface using the liquid target material 11. Simultaneously, the liquid target material 11 in the coating tank 10 cools the target surface, and the temperature is controlled by the temperature control system 30, repeating this cycle continuously. The temperature control system 30, in addition to controlling the temperature of the transport component 20 and the surrounding liquid target material 11 upon entering the coating tank 10, also controls the temperature of the liquid target material 11 throughout the entire containment cavity, ensuring that the liquid target material 11 always maintains suitable viscosity and fluidity for easy adhesion to the surface of the transport component 20.

[0052] Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the neutron conversion target 100 moves in an orbit within the bombardable zone C and the coating pool 10 via the transmission member 20. This not only enables a continuous supply of target material but also allows for rapid cooling of the transmission member 20 and the target material, preventing the target surface temperature from becoming too high due to continuous beam bombardment of the same position on the target surface and reducing the evaporation loss of the target material.

[0053] Preferably, the transmission component 20 is a racetrack-shaped track with an inner side and an outer side. The inner side of the racetrack-shaped track cooperates with the drive assembly 40, and the outer side of the racetrack-shaped track is used to form the target surface. Compared with other shapes, the strip-shaped transmission component 20 is not only easy to form a target surface of appropriate width to ensure sufficient supply of liquid target material, but also thinner, making it easier to achieve lightweighting. The liquid target material coated on the track is equivalent to forming a foil, and even if it is liquid, it will not splash due to support.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid target 11 is liquid lithium, such as... Figure 1 As shown, a neutron beam B is obtained by bombarding liquid lithium with a proton beam A.

[0055] Furthermore, the runway-shaped track is formed as a metal woven belt; and / or, the side of the runway-shaped track used to form the target surface is coated with a film layer that wets the liquid target material 11; and / or, the side of the runway-shaped track used to contact the drive assembly 40 is coated with a film layer that does not wet the liquid target material 11.

[0056] According to one embodiment of this utility model, the racetrack-shaped track can be made of a high-temperature resistant metal braided belt. The texture of the metal braided belt facilitates the adhesion of the liquid target material 11 to form a target surface. When the liquid target material 11 is liquid lithium, high-temperature resistant and flexible alloys such as titanium alloy, nickel alloy, and cobalt alloy can be used to make the metal braided belt. Preferably, a metal film wetted with liquid lithium can also be plated on the outer side of the racetrack-shaped track, so that the liquid lithium can be better coated on the racetrack-shaped track. For example, a nickel film or a copper film can be plated on the outer surface of the racetrack-shaped track. The inner side of the racetrack-shaped track is mainly used to cooperate with the drive assembly 40, so a metal film that does not wet liquid lithium can be plated on the inner side of the racetrack-shaped track, so that the inner side of the racetrack-shaped track is relatively clean and not easily coated with liquid lithium. For example, a tungsten film or a molybdenum film can be plated on the inner surface of the racetrack-shaped track.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drive assembly 40 includes a plurality of rollers 41 and a drive motor 42.

[0058] Specifically, multiple rollers 41 are arranged at intervals on the inner side of the racetrack-shaped track. The rollers 41 rotate to drive the racetrack-shaped track to make continuous track movement between the receiving cavity and the bombardment zone C. The drive motor 42 can be installed in a suitable position as needed. The drive motor 42 is used to drive at least one roller 41 to rotate. That is to say, the combined action of the rollers 41 and the drive motor 42 defines a dynamic target surface on the racetrack-shaped track, providing power support for the continuous supply and cooling of the target material.

[0059] In one embodiment of this utility model, the coating tank 10 has an open end communicating with the receiving cavity at one end facing the bombardable region C, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the neutron conversion target 100 also includes a cover plate 50, which covers the open end. The cover plate 50 defines an inlet for the transmission member 20 to enter the receiving cavity and an outlet for the transmission member 20 to exit the receiving cavity. The cover plate 50, without affecting the passage of the transmission member 20, isolates the liquid target material 11 from the external vacuum environment as much as possible, further reducing the volatilization of the liquid target material 11 within the receiving cavity and controlling contamination. Optionally, as... Figure 2 As shown, a storage cover 70 that matches the shape of the transmission component 20 can be installed on the outer sleeve of the transmission component 20. One end of the storage cover 70 near the cover plate 50 is connected to the outlet or inlet on the cover plate 50. The storage cover 70 is mainly used to store the target material evaporated from the transmission component 20 to prevent the target material from contaminating the vacuum environment. It should be noted that the storage cover 70 has a window in the beam bombardment area C to facilitate the beam bombardment of the target surface.

[0060] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control system 30 includes at least a cooling system 31, a heating system 32, and a control system 33.

[0061] Specifically, the cooling system 31 is used to cool the liquid target 11 near the inlet, the heating system 32 is used to heat the liquid target 11 in the containment cavity, and the control system 33 is connected to the cooling system 31 and the heating system 32 respectively to control the temperature of the liquid target 11 in the containment cavity by controlling the cooling system 31 and the heating system 32.

[0062] In other words, the temperature control system 30 serves at least two functions. Firstly, it provides high-power cooling to the transmission component 20 entering the containment cavity (as the target material and transmission component 20, which have just been bombarded by the beam, are at high temperatures). Secondly, it controls the liquid target material 11 within the containment cavity to maintain an appropriate temperature range, ensuring that the liquid target material 11 adheres to the transmission component 20 with suitable viscosity and sufficient thickness. It should be noted that multiple heat exchange components 34 can be installed within the containment cavity to achieve independent temperature control at different locations within the cavity. These heat exchange components 34 can be connected to the heating system 32 and the cooling system 31. Specifically, the control system 33 monitors the temperature of different locations on the liquid target material 11 via its thermocouple 331. When the temperature is found to be outside the set range, the control system 33 controls the cooling system 31 to cool the corresponding heat exchange component 34, or controls the heating system 32 (e.g., ...) to cool the heat exchange component 34 at the corresponding location. Figure 1 As shown, the heating system 32 (including a temperature control component 321 and a heater 322) heats the heat exchange component 34 at the corresponding position. The heat exchange component 34 achieves temperature stability of the liquid target material 11 in the containment cavity through heat conduction.

[0063] Preferably, the neutron conversion target 100 further includes a partition 60, which is disposed in the coating pool 10 to separate the liquid target material 11 near the inlet and the liquid target material 11 near the outlet, thereby reducing thermal interference between different positions caused by the convection of the liquid target material 11.

[0064] The neutron capture therapy system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a housing, a vacuum system 200, a neutron conversion target 100, and a beam generator (not shown).

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the housing defines a target cavity 210. According to the neutron conversion target 100 described in the above embodiment, the coating pool 10 and the transmission element 20 in the neutron conversion target 100 are respectively located within the target cavity 210. The beam generating device is used to emit a beam into the target cavity 210 to bombard the target surface located in the bombardable region C. For control purposes, the temperature control system 30 and the drive assembly 40 may have a portion located within the target cavity 210 and another portion located outside the target cavity 210.

[0066] Since the neutron conversion target 100 according to the present invention can not only achieve a continuous supply of target material, but also rapidly cool the transmission component 20 and the target material, avoiding excessively high target surface temperature caused by continuous beam bombardment of the same position on the target surface, and reducing the evaporation loss of the target material, the neutron capture therapy system according to the present invention has the neutron conversion target 100 described above. Therefore, the neutron capture system according to the present invention also has the above advantages.

[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the neutron capture therapy system further includes a differential pumping device (not shown) and a focusing beam passing device (not shown). The differential pumping device can further reduce the contamination of the acceleration pipe caused by lithium evaporation, and the focusing beam passing device is used to improve the beam intensity and accuracy.

[0068] Other structures and techniques of the neutron capture therapy system according to embodiments of this utility model are prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0069] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A neutron conversion target, having a target surface that can be bombarded by a beam, characterized in that, The neutron conversion target includes: A coating pool is defined with a receiving cavity containing a liquid target material; A transmission element, at least a portion of which is located within the receiving cavity, and at least a portion of which is located within the bombardable region of the beam, wherein the transmission element coats the liquid target material within the receiving cavity in the form of a thin film onto the transmission element to form the target surface, and transmits the target surface to the bombardable region of the beam; A temperature control system is used to control the temperature of the liquid target material located within the receiving cavity; A drive assembly for driving the transmission element to make continuous orbital motion between the receiving cavity and the bombardable zone.

2. The neutron conversion target according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission component is a runway-shaped track, which has an inner side and an outer side. The inner side of the runway-shaped track cooperates with the drive assembly, and the outer side of the runway-shaped track is used to form the target surface.

3. The neutron conversion target according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid target material is liquid lithium.

4. The neutron conversion target according to claim 2, characterized in that, The racetrack-shaped track is formed as a metal woven belt; and / or, the side of the racetrack-shaped track used to form the target surface is coated with a film layer that wets the liquid target material; and / or, the side of the racetrack-shaped track used to contact the drive assembly is coated with a film layer that does not wet the liquid target material.

5. The neutron conversion target according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component includes: Multiple rollers are arranged at intervals on the inner side of the racetrack-shaped track. The rollers rotate to drive the racetrack-shaped track to make continuous track movement between the receiving cavity and the bombardable zone. A drive motor is used to drive at least one of the rollers to rotate.

6. The neutron conversion target according to claim 2, characterized in that, The coating pool has an open end communicating with the receiving cavity at one end facing the bombardable region, and the neutron conversion target further includes: A cover plate is provided on the open end, the cover plate defining an inlet for the transmission member to extend into the receiving cavity and an outlet for the transmission member to extend out of the receiving cavity.

7. The neutron conversion target according to claim 6, characterized in that, The temperature control system includes at least: A cooling system is provided for cooling the liquid target material near the inlet; A heating system is used to heat the liquid target material within the receiving cavity; A control system is connected to the cooling system and the heating system respectively to control the temperature of the liquid target material in the containment cavity by controlling the cooling system and the heating system.

8. The neutron conversion target according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: A partition is provided within the coating tank to separate the liquid target material near the inlet from the liquid target material near the outlet.

9. A neutron capture therapy system, characterized in that, include: The shell defines the target cavity; A vacuum system is used to evacuate the target cavity; According to any one of claims 1-8, the neutron conversion target, wherein the coating pool and the transmission element are respectively located within the target cavity; A beam generating device for firing a beam into the target cavity to bombard the target surface located in the bombardable area.

10. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a differential pumping device and a focusing beam passing device.

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