基于切伦科夫效应的硼中子俘获放射治疗剂量测量新方法及其机理研究

硼中子俘获治疗（BNCT）受限于中子束流能谱复杂、患者个体差异、硼在体内浓度变化和分布不均匀，造成剂量难以实时精确测量。解决此核心问题是辐射剂量学、中子物理学与放射物理学交叉结合的前沿。本项目基于中子与人体组织相互作用产生的切伦科夫效应，探究BNCT实时照射剂量与切伦科夫光光学特性之间的关联机制，创建一种新的BNCT剂量实时测量技术。①揭示热中子/超热中子在组织中能量沉积转化以及产生切伦科夫辐射的物理机理和作用规律，构建治疗剂量与切伦科夫光光学特性之间的响应关联；②探究杂散辐射、本底光等因素对CMOS光学探测信噪比的影响规律，掌握纳米量子点对增强切伦科夫光组织穿透性的调控机理，创建基于卷积反投影算法的BNCT三维剂量分布实时重建技术和测量系统；③研究辐射剂量场、切伦科夫光子场与硼浓度/硼分布之间的交互作用规律，探究硼浓度/硼分布变化对实时治疗剂量以及切伦科夫光子场特性的影响机理和反向表征。

Limited to the complexity of the neutron beam spectra, the difference of individual patients, the concentration change and heterogeneous distribution of Boron in human body, it is difficult to real-time measure the radiation dose in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). Resolving the key problem is the frontier of the interdiscipline for radiation dosimetry, neutron physics and radiation physics. Based on the Cherenkov effect generated by the interaction between neutron and human tissue, this project plans to explore the relationship between the real-time irradiation doses and the optical properties of Cherenkov light by BNCT, develop a novel real-time in vivo dosimetry method of BNCT. This project includes the following three main works: ① to reveal the principle of the energy deposition of thermal neutron or epithermal neutron and the generation of Cerenkov radiation in human tissue materials, to establish the association response relationship between the treatment doses and Cerenkov light optical properties. ② to investigate the mechanism of Nano Quantum Dots on the enhancement of Cerenkov light tissue penetration, and to explore the influence rules of the stray radiation, background light on the optical detection SNR (Signal Noise Ratio) in CMOS detection, and create a real-time reconstruction technology of 3D-dose distribution and measurement system based on convolution back projection algorithm. ③ to research the interaction of radiation dose field, Cerenkov photon field and boron concentration and distribution, and to discover the mechanism of boron concentration and distribution changes on the real-time treatment dose distribution and Cerenkov photon field and the way to characterize the born concentration by the way.