First optical observation of 10B-neutron capture reactions using a boron-added liquid scintillator for quality assurance in boron neutron capture therapy
First optical observation of 10B-neutron capture reactions using a boron-added liquid scintillator for quality assurance in boron neutron capture therapy
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使用添加硼的液体闪烁体首次光学观察 10B 中子捕获反应，以确保硼中子捕获治疗的质量
DOI：
10.1007/s12194-021-00645-z
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发表时间：
2022
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Y.Sakurai
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A.Nohtomi;H.Maeda;N.Sakamoto;G.Wakabayashi;T.Takata;Y.Sakurai
10 B-中子捕获光学观察使用添加硼的液体闪烁体。将硼酸三甲酯以约1重量%和0.25重量%的天然硼浓度溶解在市售液体闪烁体中。将添加硼的液体闪烁体置于体模石英瓶中，并通过热中子（~ 105 n/[cm 2s]）照射150、300和600 s。在照射期间使用冷却的电荷耦合器件（CCD）照相机清楚地观察到液体闪烁体的发光。由CCD相机记录的亮度值与热中子照射的持续时间成正比。的发光分布显示出合理的协议，由锂和α粒子的能量沉积从10 B-中子俘获反应通过Monte Carlo模拟计算。当硼酸三甲酯不溶于液体闪烁体（0重量%天然硼）时，即使在600秒的照射后也没有观察到可见的发光。这些发现表明，观察到的亮度来源于锂和α粒子产生的10 B-中子俘获反应。因此，发光分布与液体闪烁体的硼剂量直接相关。据我们所知，硼剂量分布的直接实验光学观测尚未报道。这种新的技术将是有用的硼中子俘获治疗（BNCT）的质量保证，因为瞬时中子照射可能足以观察临床BNCT中使用的强中子束（~ 109 n/[cm 2 s]），硼剂量分布的快速评估是可行的。
10B-neutron capture was observed optically using a boron-added liquid scintillator. Trimethyl borate was dissolved in a commercially available liquid scintillator at natural boron concentrations of approximately 1 wt% and 0.25 wt%. The boron-added liquid scintillator was placed in a phantom quartz bottle and irradiated by thermal neutrons (~ 105n/[cm2s]) for 150, 300, and 600 s. The luminescence of the liquid scintillator was clearly observed using a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera during irradiation. The luminance value recorded by the CCD camera was proportional to the duration of irradiation by thermal neutrons. The luminescence distribution showed reasonable agreement with that of energy deposition by Li and alpha particles from10B-neutron capture reactions calculated via Monte Carlo simulations. When trimethyl borate was not dissolved in the liquid scintillator (0 wt% natural boron), no visible luminescence was observed even after 600 s of irradiation. These findings demonstrate that the observed luminance originates from the Li and alpha particles generated by10B-neutron capture reactions. Consequently, the luminescence distribution is directly related to the boron dose of the liquid scintillator. To the best of our knowledge, direct experimental optical observations of boron dose distribution have not yet been reported. This novel technique will be useful for quality assurance in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) because instantaneous neutron irradiation may be sufficient for the observing the intense neutron beam used in clinical BNCT (~ 109n/[cm2s]), and quick evaluation of the boron dose distribution is expected to be feasible.