Characteristics measurement of thermal neutron filter developed for improvement of therapeutic dose distribution of JRR-4

Kumada, Hiroaki*; Nakamura, Takemi  ; Horiguchi, Hironori; Matsumura, Akira*

In most of clinical studies of BNCT performed at JRR-4, dose given to a patient has been controlled in accordance with limitation of not brain dose in the body but skin dose. This is attributed to the high thermal neutron component of the epithermal neutron beam of JRR-4. The aim of this study is to enhance the therapeutic dose around tumor region by decreasing the thermal neutrons mixed in the beam. To reduce the thermal neutrons, we made a prototype of thermal neutron filter which can cut the thermal neutrons at just before patient. To verify the performance of the filter and the characteristics of the epithermal neutron beam with the filter, phantom irradiation experiments were carried out. And then the experimental values and Monte-Carlo calculations which had been performed to design the filter were compared. The verification results demonstrated that the application of the filter enabled to reduce the skin dose and to enhance the therapeutic dose at deeper region in a body. And the filter application also brings on extension of the irradiation time. We will perform further characteristic measurements for the filter in order to apply the filter to the clinical trials in practical use.