Neutron Capture Therapy System

Abstract

The neutron capture therapy system (100) can reduce secondary radiation and radiation damage caused by the interaction between the beam transfer section (20) and recoil neutrons generated in the process of generating a neutron beam by the neutron beam generating section (30). The neutron capture therapy system (100) includes an accelerator (10), a beam transfer section (20), and a neutron beam generating section (30), where the accelerator (10) accelerates charged particles to generate a charged particle beam, the beam transfer section (20) transfers the charged particle beam generated by the accelerator to the neutron beam generating section (30), and the neutron beam generating section (30) generates a therapeutic neutron beam, and the neutron capture therapy system (100) includes a beam transfer shield assembly (60) used in the beam transfer section (20).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to radiation delivery systems, and more particularly to neutron capture therapy systems. [Background technology]

[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, conventional photon or electron therapy kills tumor cells due to the limitations of the physical conditions of the radiation itself, while damaging many normal tissues along the beam path. In addition, tumor cells have different degrees of sensitivity to radiation, so conventional radiation therapy is not very effective in treating malignant tumors with high radiation resistance (e.g., glioblastoma multiforme, melanoma).

[0003] To reduce radiation damage to normal tissues surrounding tumors, the concept of targeted therapy in chemotherapy has been applied to radiotherapy, and currently, radiation sources with high relative biological effectiveness (RBE), such as proton therapy, heavy ion therapy, and neutron capture therapy, are being actively developed for tumor cells with high radiation resistance. Among these, neutron capture therapy combines the above two concepts. For example, in boron neutron capture therapy, boron-containing drugs specifically collect in tumor cells, and when combined with highly precise neutron beam control, it provides a better cancer treatment option than conventional radiation.

[0004] In the process of radiotherapy, various radiations are generated, for example, neutrons and photons with low to high energy are generated in the process of boron neutron capture therapy, and these radiations may cause different degrees of damage to normal tissues of the human body. Therefore, in the field of radiotherapy, how to realize effective treatment and reduce radiation contamination to the external environment, medical staff or normal tissues of patients is an extremely important issue.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new technical means to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a neutron capture therapy system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an accelerator, a beam transfer unit, and a neutron beam generating unit, the accelerator accelerating charged particles to obtain a charged particle beam, the beam transfer unit transferring the charged particle beam generated by the accelerator to the neutron beam generating unit, the neutron beam generating unit generating a therapeutic neutron beam, and the neutron capture therapy system includes a beam transfer shielding assembly used in the beam transfer unit. The beam transfer shielding assembly can reduce secondary radiation and radiation damage caused by the interaction between the beam transfer unit and recoil neutrons generated in the process of the neutron beam generating unit generating a neutron beam.

[0007] Preferably, the material of the beam transfer shield assembly is PE containing boron.

[0008] Preferably, said beam transfer shield assembly is at least partially movable or removable.

[0009] Preferably, the beam transfer section includes a transfer tube for accelerating or transferring the charged particle beam, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a first shielding member surrounding the transfer tube. The first shielding member may be an annular shielding sleeve surrounding the transfer tube.

[0010] Preferably, the beam transfer unit includes a transfer tube for accelerating or transferring the charged particle beam, and a beam adjustment unit installed in the transfer tube for adjusting the charged particle beam, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a second shielding member installed in the transfer tube, the second shielding member being located downstream of the beam adjustment unit along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam. The second shielding member may be a shielding plate whose plate surface is perpendicular to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam.

[0011] Furthermore, the beam transfer shield assembly may include a third shielding member installed on both sides of the transfer tube along a transfer direction of the charged particle beam, and the third shielding member may be a shielding plate parallel to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam and installed on both sides of the transfer tube. Furthermore, the second shielding member and the third shielding member are integrally connected and at least partially surround the beam adjustment unit and the transfer tube, thereby providing a more effective shielding effect.

[0012] Further, the beam adjustment unit includes an XY magnet that adjusts the axis of the charged particle beam, or a quadrupole magnet that suppresses divergence of the charged particle beam, or a four-way septum magnet or a charged particle beam scanning magnet used to shape the charged particle beam P, and the second shielding member includes at least one shielding plate located downstream of the magnet along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam.

[0013] Preferably, the neutron capture therapy system includes an irradiation chamber and a charged particle beam generation chamber, a subject is treated by neutron beam irradiation in the irradiation chamber, the charged particle beam generation chamber houses the accelerator and at least a portion of the beam transfer section, and the beam transfer shield assembly is installed in the charged particle beam generation chamber.

[0014] Further, the beam transfer section includes a first transfer section connected to the accelerator, a beam direction switch that switches the direction of travel of the charged particle beam, and a second transfer section that transfers the charged particle beam from the beam direction switch to the neutron beam generation section, the charged particle beam generation chamber includes an accelerator chamber and a beam transfer chamber, the first transfer section extends from the accelerator chamber to the beam transfer chamber, the second transfer section extends from the beam transfer chamber to the neutron beam generation section, the neutron beam generation section is at least partially installed within a partition wall between the beam transfer chamber and the irradiation chamber, and the beam transfer shield assembly is installed within the beam transfer chamber.

[0015] Furthermore, the beam transfer shield assembly includes a shield shell surrounding the beam redirector.

[0016] Furthermore, the beam transfer section further includes a beam collector, the beam direction switch selectively transfers the charged particle beam to the neutron beam generation section or the beam collector, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a first shielding plate installed at an end of the beam collector or a shielding cover installed on the top of the beam collector or a shielding sleeve surrounding the beam collector. Furthermore, the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit include a transfer tube that accelerates or transfers the charged particle beam, and a beam adjustment unit that is installed in the transfer tube and adjusts the charged particle beam, the beam transfer shield assembly includes a second shielding plate that is installed in the transfer tubes of the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit, respectively, and has a plate surface perpendicular to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, the second shielding plate is located downstream of the beam adjustment unit in the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, and the beam transfer shield assembly further includes a third shielding plate installed on both sides of the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, and at least a portion of the second shielding plate, the first shielding plate, and the third shielding plate are connected together and form a closed structure with the partition wall between the accelerator room and the beam transfer chamber, thereby shielding the entire beam transfer unit in the closed space.

[0017] Preferably, the beam transfer section includes a transfer assist device, the transfer assist device including, but not limited to, a vacuum pump, a cooling medium control mechanism, and an argon gas control mechanism, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a fourth shielding member at least partially surrounding or covering the transfer assist device.

[0018] Preferably, the beam transfer shield assembly further comprises a portable shield plate.

[0019] By installing a beam transfer shielding assembly in the neutron capture therapy system of the present invention, secondary radiation and radiation damage caused by the interaction between the beam transfer section and recoil neutrons generated during the process of the neutron beam generating section generating a neutron beam can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a neutron capture therapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a layout diagram of a neutron capture therapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a transfer tube shielding member of a neutron capture therapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, so that those skilled in the art can practice the present invention by referring to the specification.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the neutron capture therapy system according to this embodiment is preferably a boron neutron capture therapy system 100, and the boron neutron capture therapy system 100 is an apparatus for treating cancer using boron neutron capture therapy. In boron neutron capture therapy, a neutron beam N is irradiated to a patient 200 injected with boron (B-10) to treat cancer. After the patient 200 takes or is injected with a boron (B-10)-containing drug, the boron-containing drug is selectively collected in tumor cells M, and then, utilizing the property that the boron (B-10)-containing drug has a high capture cross section for thermal neutrons, 10 B(n,α) 7 Li neutron capture and fission reactions 4 He and 7The two types of charged particles have an average energy of about 2.33 MeV and are characterized by a high linear energy transfer (LET) and a short range. The linear energy transfer and range of the alpha particles are 150 keV / μm and 8 μm, respectively. 7 The linear energy deposition and range of the Li heavy charged particles are 175 keV / μm and 5 μm, and the total range of the two types of particles is approximately equivalent to the size of a single cell. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the purpose of locally killing tumor cells while limiting the radiation damage to the living body to the cellular level and not causing too much damage to normal tissues.

[0023] The boron neutron capture therapy system 100 includes an accelerator 10, a beam transfer section 20, a neutron beam generation section 30, and a treatment couch 40. The accelerator 10 accelerates charged particles (e.g., protons, deuterons, etc.) and generates a charged particle beam P such as a proton beam, and the beam transfer section 20 transfers the charged particle beam P generated by the accelerator 10 to the neutron beam generation section 30, which generates a therapeutic neutron beam N and irradiates it to a patient 200 on the treatment couch 40.

[0024] The neutron beam generating unit 30 includes a target T, a beam shaper 31, and a collimator 32. The charged particle beam P generated by the accelerator 10 is irradiated to the target T by the beam transfer unit 20 and interacts with the target T to generate neutrons. The generated neutrons pass in turn through the beam shaper 31 and the collimator 32 to form a therapeutic neutron beam N, which is then irradiated to the patient 200 on the treatment table 40. The target T is preferably a metal target. An appropriate nuclear reaction is selected depending on the required neutron yield and energy, the energy and current magnitude of the accelerated charged particles that can be provided, the physical and chemical properties of the metal target, etc., and nuclear reactions that are generally considered are: 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be and 9 Be(p,n) 9B, and these two types of reactions are both endothermic reactions. These two types of nuclear reactions have energy thresholds of 1.881 MeV and 2.055 MeV, respectively, and the ideal neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy is epithermal neutrons at the keV energy level. In theory, protons with energy slightly higher than the threshold can be bombarded with a metallic lithium target to generate neutrons with relatively low energy, which can be used clinically without requiring too much moderation processing. However, the cross section of action between the two types of targets, metallic lithium (Li) and metallic beryllium (Be), and protons with the threshold energy is not high, so in order to generate sufficient neutron flux, protons with relatively high energy are generally used to cause nuclear reactions. The ideal target has a high neutron yield, the energy distribution of the generated neutrons is close to the epithermal neutron energy region (described in detail below), does not generate too much radiation with strong penetrating properties, is safe, inexpensive, easy to operate, and has high temperature resistance, but in reality it is impossible to find a nuclear reaction that meets all the requirements. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the target T may be made of a metal material other than Li and Be, for example, Ta or W and alloys thereof, etc. The accelerator 10 may be a linear accelerator, a cyclotron, a synchrotron, or a synchrocyclotron.

[0025] The beam shaper 31 can adjust the beam quality of the neutron beam N generated by the interaction of the charged particle beam P with the target T, and the collimator 32 collects the neutron beam N, so that the neutron beam N has high targetability during the treatment process. The beam shaper 31 further includes a reflector 311, a moderator 312, a thermal neutron absorber 313, a radiation shield 314, and a beam outlet 315. Since the energy spectrum of the neutrons generated by the interaction of the charged particle beam P with the target T is wide, it is necessary to reduce the content of other types of neutrons and photons as much as possible other than epithermal neutrons that meet the treatment demand to avoid causing damage to the operator or the patient. Therefore, the neutrons emitted from the target T are passed through the moderator 312 to reduce the energy of fast neutrons (>40 keV ) is adjusted to the epithermal neutron energy region (0.5 eV to 40 keV), and thermal neutrons (<0.5 eV) must be reduced as much as possible. The moderator 312 is made of a material that has a large cross section with fast neutrons and a small cross section with epithermal neutrons. In this embodiment, the moderator 312 is made of at least one of D2O, AlF3, Fluental (registered trademark), CaF2, Li2CO3, MgF2, and Al2O3. The reflector 311 surrounds the moderator 312 and reflects the moderator 312. The reflector 311 is made of at least one of Pb and Ni, and the moderator 312 has a thermal neutron absorber 313 at the rear and is made of a material with a large cross section with thermal neutrons. In this embodiment, the thermal neutron absorber 313 is made of Li-6, and absorbs the thermal neutrons that have passed through the moderator 312 to reduce the content of thermal neutrons in the neutron beam N. In order to avoid giving too much dose to superficial normal tissue during treatment, as can be understood, the thermal neutron absorber may be integrated with the moderator, the material of which includes Li-6, and the radiation shielding body 314 blocks neutrons and photons leaking out from parts other than the beam exit 315, and the material of the radiation shielding body 314 includes at least one of a photon shielding material and a neutron shielding material, and in this embodiment, the material of the radiation shielding body 314 includes a photon shielding material lead (Pb) and a neutron shielding material polyethylene (PE).As can be understood, the beam shaper 31 may be of other structures as long as it can obtain an epithermal neutron beam required for treatment. The collimator 32 is installed behind the beam outlet 315, and the epithermal neutron beam emitted from the collimator 32 is irradiated to the patient 200, and after passing through the superficial normal tissue, is decelerated to thermal neutrons and reaches the tumor cells M. As can be understood, the collimator 32 may be removed or of other structures, and the neutron beam is emitted from the beam outlet 315 and directly irradiated to the patient 200. In this embodiment, a radiation shielding device 50 is further installed between the patient 200 and the beam outlet 315 to shield the radiation of the beam emitted from the beam outlet 315 against the normal tissue of the patient, and as can be understood, the radiation shielding device 50 may not be installed.

[0026] The target T is installed between the beam transfer section 20 and the beam shaper 31, and the beam transfer section 20 has a transfer tube C for accelerating or transferring the charged particle beam P. In this embodiment, the transfer tube C extends into the beam shaper 31 along the direction of the charged particle beam P and passes through the reflector 311 and the decelerator 312 in order, and the target T is installed in the decelerator 312 and located at the end of the transfer tube C to obtain a high-quality neutron beam. As can be understood, the target may use other installation methods and may be movable relative to the accelerator or the beam shaper to facilitate replacement of the target or to make the charged particle beam act uniformly on the target.

[0027] The boron neutron capture therapy system 100 is entirely housed in a building of a concrete structure, and includes an irradiation room 101 and a charged particle beam generation room 102. A patient 200 on a treatment couch 40 is treated by irradiation with a neutron beam N in the irradiation room 101, and the charged particle beam generation room 102 houses the accelerator 10 and at least a part of the beam transfer unit 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the beam transfer unit 20 includes a first transfer unit 21 connected to the accelerator 10, a beam direction switcher 22 that switches the traveling direction of the charged particle beam P, and a second transfer unit 23 that transfers the charged particle beam P from the beam direction switcher 22 to the neutron beam generation unit 30 and irradiates the generated neutron beam N to the patient 200 in the irradiation room 101. The beam transfer section 20 may further include a beam collector 24 for collecting the beam when the beam is not required or for checking the output of the charged particle beam P before treatment, and the beam direction switch 22 can direct the charged particle beam P away from the normal orbit to the beam collector 24, and the beam direction switch 22 selectively transfers the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam generation section 30 or the beam collector 24.

[0028] The charged particle beam generation chamber 102 may include an accelerator chamber 1021 and a beam transfer chamber 1022, with the first transfer section 21 extending from the accelerator chamber 1021 to the beam transfer chamber 1022 and the second transfer section 23 extending from the beam transfer chamber 1022 to the neutron beam generation section 30, which is at least partially installed within a partition wall W1 between the beam transfer chamber 1022 and the irradiation chamber 101. The beam collector 24 is installed within the beam transfer chamber 1022 and may be installed in other locations, for example, within a concrete wall, as can be understood.

[0029] The beam direction switcher 22 may include a deflection electromagnet that deflects the direction of the charged particle beam P and an opening / closing electromagnet that controls the traveling direction of the charged particle beam P. The first transfer unit 21 and the second transfer unit 23 may further include a beam adjustment unit 25 that is constructed of a transfer tube C and is installed in the transfer tube C and adjusts the charged particle beam P, and the beam adjustment unit 25 includes an XY magnet 251 that adjusts the axis of the charged particle beam P, a quadrupole magnet 252 that suppresses the divergence of the charged particle beam P, a four-way septum magnet 253 (not shown) used to shape the charged particle beam P, and the like. The beam adjustment unit 25 of the second transfer unit 23 may further include a charged particle beam scanning magnet 254 as necessary, and the charged particle beam scanning magnet scans the charged particle beam P and controls the irradiation of the charged particle beam P on the target T, for example, controls the irradiation position of the charged particle beam P on the target T.

[0030] In the process of neutron capture therapy, a large amount of neutrons are generated, particularly near the target T that generates neutrons, so it is necessary to prevent neutron leakage as much as possible. In one embodiment, the concrete forming at least a part of the space (e.g., the beam transfer chamber 1022, the irradiation chamber 101) is concrete to which a neutron shielding material has been added, for example, concrete containing boron and barite, thereby forming a neutron shielded space. In another embodiment, a neutron shielding plate (not shown) is installed on the surface of the concrete in the room (e.g., the ceiling, floor, and walls of the beam transfer chamber 1022 and the irradiation chamber 101), for example, a PE plate containing boron is installed to form a neutron shielded space. The emission directions of the neutrons generated by the action of the charged particle beam P and the target T are mostly distributed in space, and a large number of recoil neutrons are generated in the process of the beam shaper 31 "shaping" the neutrons. This part of the recoil neutrons is a part that needs to be given primary consideration in the design of radiation shielding. The recoil neutrons gather around the beam transfer section 20 of the beam transfer chamber 1022, and the beam transfer section 20 (e.g., transfer tube C and the magnets installed in transfer tube C) is generally made of steel, and secondary radiation is generated by radioactive isotopes with long half-lives after being irradiated by neutrons. Therefore, a beam transfer shielding assembly 60 is installed in the beam transfer section 20 to reduce secondary radiation and radiation damage caused by the action of the beam transfer section 20 and the recoil neutrons generated in the process of the neutron beam generation section 30 generating a neutron beam.

[0031] The beam transfer shield assembly 60 is installed in the beam transfer chamber 1022, and includes a magnet shielding member 61 and a transfer tube shielding member 62. The magnet shielding member 61 is installed in the transfer tube C, and is located downstream of the beam adjustment unit 25 along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P. In one embodiment, the magnet shielding member 61 is a shielding plate whose plate surface is perpendicular to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P. One shielding plate may be installed in each magnet, or one shielding plate may be installed downstream of the most downstream magnet in the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P of each transfer tube C. The material of the magnet shielding member 61 is PE containing boron. In this embodiment, the beam adjustment section 25 of the first transfer section 21 includes one XY magnet 251 and two quadrupole magnets 252, the beam adjustment section 25 of the second transfer section 23 includes two quadrupole magnets 252 and one charged particle beam scanning magnet 254, and the magnetic shielding members 61 include a shielding plate 611 installed in the transfer tube C between the XY magnet 251 of the first transfer section 21 and the beam direction switch 22, shielding plates 612, 613 installed between each of the two magnets of the second transfer section 23, and a shielding plate 614 installed between the charged particle beam scanning magnet 254 of the second transfer section 23 and the neutron beam generation section 30, and since the distance between the second transfer section 23 and the neutron beam transfer section 30 is small, more magnetic shielding members 61 are installed.

[0032] The transfer tube shielding member 62 is an annular shielding sleeve 621 (shown in FIG. 3) surrounding the transfer tube C, or is parallel to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P and is shielding plates 622, 623 installed on both sides of the transfer tube C, and in order to reduce costs, the material of the transfer tube shielding member 62 may be PE that does not contain boron. When the transfer tube shielding member 62 is parallel to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P and is shielding plates 622, 623 installed on both sides of the transfer tube C, the transfer tube shielding member 62 simultaneously provides additional shielding for the magnet and other components on the beam transfer unit 20, and in one embodiment, at least a part of the magnet shielding member 61 and the transfer tube shielding member 62 are connected together and at least partially surround the beam adjustment unit 25 and the transfer tube C, thereby achieving a higher shielding effect.

[0033] The beam transfer shield assembly 60 further includes a shielding plate 63 installed at an end of the beam collector 24, and the shielding plate 63 at least partially surrounds the end opposite to the end where the beam collector 24 and the beam direction switcher 22 are connected, and the cross-sectional shape of the shielding plate 63 may be substantially U-shaped or bent line-shaped. When the transfer tube shielding member 62 is parallel to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam P and is a shielding plate 622, 623 installed on both sides of the transfer tube C, in one embodiment, at least a part of the magnet shielding member 61, the transfer tube shielding member 62, and the shielding plate 63 are integrally connected, and form a closed structure with the partition wall W2 between the accelerator chamber 1021 and the beam transfer chamber 1022, thereby shielding the entire beam transfer section 20 in the closed space. In this embodiment, the shielding plate 622 installed on one side of the transfer tube C, the shielding plate 63 installed at the end of the beam collector 24, the shielding plate 614 installed between the charged particle beam scanning magnet 254 of the second transfer section 23 and the neutron beam generating section 30, the shielding plate 623 installed on the other side of the transfer tube C, and the partition wall W2 between the accelerator room 1021 and the beam transfer chamber 1022 are connected in sequence to form a closed structure, and the shielding plate 611 installed between the XY magnet 251 of the first transfer section 21 and the beam direction switcher 22 is connected to the shielding plates 622 and 623 installed on both sides of the transfer tube C. Since the steel material of the beam collector 24 has a large mass, a shielding cover (not shown) may be installed on the top of the beam collector 24 to further reduce secondary radiation, and a shielding sleeve (not shown) may be installed on the outer periphery of the beam collector 24 to surround the beam collector 24.

[0034] The beam direction changer 22 may be surrounded by a shielding shell 64 to prevent secondary radiation from occurring due to the interaction between the beam direction changer 22 and recoil neutrons, and the material of the shielding shell 64 may be PE containing boron.

[0035] The beam transfer shield assembly 60 may further include a portable shielding plate 65 (not shown) for the operator to carry and move with, such as when the operator enters the beam transfer chamber 1022 to replace a target, and the portable shielding plate 65 may further reduce radiation damage to the operator caused by secondary radiation generated by the beam transfer section 20, and the material of the portable shielding plate 65 is lead, and as can be understood, may be other photon shielding materials, and may further include a neutron shielding material.

[0036] The beam transfer section 20 includes a transfer auxiliary device, and the beam transfer shield assembly 60 may further include an auxiliary shielding member 66 that at least partially surrounds or covers the transfer auxiliary device. In this embodiment, the auxiliary shielding member 66 is a shielding box that surrounds the transfer auxiliary device, and may be a shielding shell or a shielding sleeve that covers or surrounds the transfer auxiliary device. The transfer auxiliary device includes, but is not limited to, a first vacuum pump 71 and a second vacuum pump 72 for vacuum exhaust, a control mechanism 73 (specifically, a water tank) that controls the opening and closing and flow rate of the cooling medium, and a control mechanism 74 (specifically, an argon gas box) that controls the opening and closing and flow rate of the argon gas. The material of the auxiliary shielding member 66 may be boron-containing polyethylene, other neutron shielding materials, or photon shielding materials.

[0037] The neutron beam generating section 30 may be one or more to generate one or more therapeutic neutron beams N, and accordingly, the beam transfer section 20 may include multiple transfer sections for transferring the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam generating section 30, with a similar beam transfer shield assembly 60 installed at each transfer section.

[0038] Boron neutron capture therapy system 100 may include preparation rooms, control rooms, and other spaces that support treatment.

[0039] As can be understood, the materials of the concrete, partition wall, shielding plate, shielding cover, shielding sleeve and shielding shell in this embodiment may be replaced with other neutron shielding materials, may include photon shielding materials, and since the half-life of the radioactive isotopes generated after aluminum is activated by neutrons is short, the shielding plate, shielding cover, shielding sleeve and shielding shell may be attached by aluminum moldings, or may be other materials, as can be understood, and the shielding plate, shielding cover, shielding sleeve and shielding shell are at least partially movable or removable, facilitating maintenance of the equipment.

[0040] The above describes exemplary specific embodiments of the present invention to facilitate understanding of the present invention for those skilled in the art. However, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific embodiments. Various changes are obvious to those skilled in the art, and are all within the scope of the claims of the present invention, provided that they are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A neutron capture therapy system comprising an accelerator, a beam transfer section, and a neutron beam generation section, wherein the accelerator accelerates charged particles to obtain a charged particle beam, the beam transfer section transfers the charged particle beam generated by the accelerator to the neutron beam generation section, and the neutron beam generation section generates a therapeutic neutron beam, characterized in that the neutron capture therapy system includes a beam transfer shielding assembly used in the beam transfer section.

2. 10. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 1, wherein the beam transfer shield assembly is at least partially movable or removable.

3. 2. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 1, wherein the beam transfer section includes a transfer tube that accelerates or transfers the charged particle beam, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a first shielding member that surrounds the transfer tube.

4. 2. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 1, wherein the beam transfer unit includes a transfer tube that accelerates or transfers the charged particle beam, and a beam adjustment unit that is installed in the transfer tube and adjusts the charged particle beam, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a second shielding member installed in the transfer tube, and the second shielding member is located downstream of the beam adjustment unit along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam.

5. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 4 , wherein the second shielding member is a shielding plate whose plate surface is perpendicular to a transfer direction of the charged particle beam.

6. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 4, wherein the beam transfer shield assembly includes a third shielding member installed on both sides of the transfer tube along a transfer direction of the charged particle beam, the second shielding member and the third shielding member being integrally connected and at least partially surrounding the beam adjustment unit and the transfer tube.

7. 7. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 6, wherein the third shielding member is a shielding plate that is parallel to a transfer direction of the charged particle beam and is installed on both sides of the transfer tube.

8. 5. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 4, wherein the beam adjustment unit includes an X-Y magnet that adjusts the axis of the charged particle beam, a quadrupole magnet that suppresses divergence of the charged particle beam, a four-way septum magnet that is used to shape the charged particle beam P, or a charged particle beam scanning magnet, and the second shielding member includes at least one shielding plate located downstream of the magnet along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam.

9. 2. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 1, comprising an irradiation chamber and a charged particle beam generation chamber, a subject is treated by the neutron beam irradiation in the irradiation chamber, the charged particle beam generation chamber houses the accelerator and at least a part of the beam transfer section, and the beam transfer shield assembly is installed in the charged particle beam generation chamber.

10. 10. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 9, wherein the beam transfer unit includes a first transfer unit connected to the accelerator, a beam direction switch that switches a traveling direction of the charged particle beam, and a second transfer unit that transfers the charged particle beam from the beam direction switch to the neutron beam generation unit, the charged particle beam generation room includes an accelerator room and a beam transfer room, the first transfer unit extends from the accelerator room to the beam transfer room, the second transfer unit extends from the beam transfer room to the neutron beam generation unit, the neutron beam generation unit is at least partially installed within a partition wall between the beam transfer room and the irradiation room, and the beam transfer shield assembly is installed within the beam transfer room.

11. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 10 , wherein the beam transfer shield assembly includes a shielding shell surrounding the beam redirector.

12. 11. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 10, wherein the beam transfer section further includes a beam collector, the beam direction switch selectively transfers the charged particle beam to the neutron beam generation section or the beam collector, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a first shielding plate installed at an end of the beam collector, a shielding cover installed on a top of the beam collector, or a shielding sleeve surrounding the beam collector.

13. 13. The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 12, wherein the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit include a transfer tube that accelerates or transfers the charged particle beam, and a beam adjustment unit that is installed in the transfer tube and adjusts the charged particle beam, the beam transfer shield assembly includes a second shielding plate that is installed in the transfer tubes of the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit, respectively, and has a plate surface perpendicular to the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, the second shielding plate being located downstream of the beam adjustment unit in the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, the beam transfer shield assembly further includes a third shielding plate installed on both sides of the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit along the transfer direction of the charged particle beam, and at least a portion of the second shielding plate, the first shielding plate, and the third shielding plate are connected together and form a closed structure with a partition wall between the accelerator room and the beam transfer room.

14. 2. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 1, wherein the beam transfer section further includes a transfer assistance device, and the beam transfer shield assembly includes a fourth shielding member that at least partially surrounds or covers the transfer assistance device.

15. The neutron capture therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the beam transfer shield assembly further comprises a portable shield plate.

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