Neutron Therapy Beam Shaper Cooling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
In neutron capture therapy, conventional targets experience significant temperature rises during high-energy proton irradiation, leading to reduced working lifetime and inadequate neutron beam quality, which affects treatment effectiveness and normal tissue protection.
Innovation Solution
A beam shaping assembly with a cooling system comprising a first cooling part in contact with the target, a second cooling part, and a third cooling part, arranged in a "" shape within the accelerating tube, to efficiently cool the target and enhance neutron beam quality by moderating neutrons to epithermal energies and reducing thermal and fast neutron contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the target is irradiated by high-energy proton beams to generate neutrons, then neutron beam quality is improved, but the target temperature rises significantly reducing working lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into three separate cooling parts (first, second, and third cooling parts) that are distributed around the accelerating tube. Each cooling part independently cools different regions of the target, allowing for localized temperature control and preventing hot spots while maintaining overall target integrity during high-energy proton irradiation.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling medium is introduced as an intermediary substance that absorbs heat from the target through the cooling parts. The cooling medium circulates through the cooling system, transferring thermal energy from the irradiated target to external heat exchangers, thereby maintaining target temperature within operational limits during neutron generation.
2Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used, then target temperature is reduced, but neutron beam quality and epithermal neutron intensity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system provides non-uniform cooling distribution with different cooling intensities at different locations. The first cooling part directly contacts the target at the embedding portion for intensive cooling, while the second and third cooling parts extend along the accelerating tube to cool surrounding regions. This localized cooling approach maintains target temperature control without compromising the neutron beam quality or epithermal neutron intensity.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If the target is cooled more effectively, then working lifetime is extended, but the complexity of the cooling system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system integrates multiple cooling functions into a unified structure. The first, second, and third cooling parts are combined into a single cooling system that simultaneously cools the target and surrounding components. The cooling medium circulation path merges multiple cooling zones into one continuous flow system, reducing the number of separate systems needed while extending target working lifetime through effective thermal management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cooling system effectively manages target temperature, improving neutron beam quality and reducing radiation damage to normal tissues, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and safety of neutron capture therapy.
Implementation Method 1
the target has nuclear reaction with an incident proton beam from the beam inlet to produce neutrons
Implementation Method 2
the neutrons are moderated by the moderator to epithermal neutron energies
Implementation Method 3
a first cooling part for cooling target
Implementation Method 4
a cooling medium is inputted into the first cooling part from the second cooling part and is outputted from first cooling part through the third cooling part
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Disclosed is a beam shaping assembly for neutron capture therapy, including a beam inlet; a target, wherein the target has nuclear reaction with the incident proton beam from the beam inlet to produce neutrons; a moderator adjoining to the target, wherein the neutrons are moderated by the moderator to epithermal neutrons; a reflector surrounding the moderator, wherein the reflector leads the deflected neutrons back to the moderator to enhance the epithermal neutron beam intensity; a thermal neutron absorber adjoining to the moderator, wherein the thermal neutron absorber is used for absorbing the thermal neutron so as to avoid overdosing in superficial normal tissue during therapy; a radiation shield set inside the beam shaping assembly, wherein the radiation shield is used for shielding the leaking neutrons and photons so as to reduce the dose in non-radiation region; a beam outlet; and a cooling system, wherein the cooling system includes a first cooling part for cooling target, a second cooling part and a third cooling part connecting with the first cooling part and extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the accelerating tube respectively, the first cooling part connects with the target in a face to face manner, the cooling medium is inputted into the first cooling part from the second cooling part and is outputted from the first cooling part through the third cooling part.