Estimation of relative biological effectiveness for boron neutron capture therapy using the PHITS code coupled with a microdosimetric kinetic model

Horiguchi, Hironori*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kumada, Hiroaki*; Yamamoto, Tetsuya*; Sakae, Takeji*

Journal of Radiation Research, 56(2), p.382 - 390, 2015/03

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rru109

For evaluating the irradiation effect in tumors and surrounding normal tissues in BNCT, it is of great importance to estimate the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for each dose component in the same framework. We have therefore established a new method for estimating the RBE of all BNCT dose components on the basis of the microdosimetric kinetic model. This method employs the probability densities of lineal energy, y, in a subcellular structure as the index for expressing RBE, which can be calculated using the microdosimetric function implemented in the particle transport simulation code PHITS. The accuracy of this method was tested by comparing the calculated RBE values with corresponding measured data in a water phantom irradiated with an epithermal neutron beam. The calculation technique developed in this study will be useful for biological dose estimation in the treatment planning of BNCT.

Measurement of femtosecond laser ablation by soft X-ray laser interferometory and reflective imaging

Nishikino, Masaharu; Hasegawa, Noboru; Ishino, Masahiko; Yamagiwa, Mitsuru; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Minami, Yasuo*; Terakawa, Kota*; Takei, Ryota*; Baba, Motoyoshi*; Suemoto, Toru; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2013-001, p.16 - 19, 2013/09

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2013-001

The dynamics of the femtosecond laser ablation is still not clear at the early stage. Several studies on the time-resolved imaging of femtosecond laser ablation process have been performed on various materials. In this study, we have demonstrated a pump and probe imaging of the metal surface morphology during the femtosecond laser ablation by using the laser-driven plasma induced soft X-ray laser (SXRL) as a probe beam. The pumping laser used for ablation was a Ti:Sapphire laser system based on chirped pulse amplification. The pump beam had a Gaussian profile and the focal spot size on the metal surface was about 70 micron at FWHM. The dependence for the pump laser fluence of the ablation surface expansion and the surface condition (roughness and density gradient) were observed from the soft X-ray interferogram and reflective image, respectively.

Development of the X-ray interferometer and the method of temporal synchronization of X-ray and optical pulse

Hasegawa, Noboru; Yamamoto, Minoru*; Terakawa, Kota*; Nishikino, Masaharu; Ochi, Yoshihiro; Minami, Yasuo*; Tomita, Takuro*; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Suemoto, Toru

AIP Conference Proceedings 1465, p.23 - 27, 2012/07

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4737533

We have developed a soft X-ray laser (SXRL) interferometer capable of the single-shot imaging of nano-scaled structure dynamics. The depth and lateral resolutions of the interferometer were about 1 nm and 1.8 micron, respectively. We observed the initial stage (50 ps) of the ablation process of the Pt surface pumped by a 70 fs Ti:Sapphire laser pulse. The expansion speed of the Pt surface (34 nm/50 ps) indicated that the nano-bubble structures were formed in the initial stage of the ablation. In order to observe the detailed dynamics, the precision of temporal synchronization between the pump and probe pulses was improved to be 3 ps by adopting a portion of the SXRL and pump beams as the time fiducials.

Picosecond soft-X-ray laser interferometer for probing nanometer surface structure

Ochi, Yoshihiro; Terakawa, Kota*; Hasegawa, Noboru; Yamamoto, Minoru*; Tomita, Takuro*; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Minami, Yasuo*; Nishikino, Masaharu; Imazono, Takashi; Ishino, Masahiko; et al.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 51(1), p.016601_1 - 016601_3, 2012/01

https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.51.016601

We have developed a soft X-ray laser interferometer based on the double Lloyd's mirror and obtained a single shot interferogram by a 7-ps pulse at the wavelength of 13.9 nm. Micrometer grooves with 5-nm depth were successfully reconstructed from the interferogram. The lateral and depth resolutions were estimated to be 1.5 m and better than 1 nm, respectively. This interferometer will be an attractive diagnostic device for observing transiently changing nano-scale deviations on solid surfaces.

Development of the X-ray interferometer and the method of spatial and temporal synchronization of XRL and optical pulse

Hasegawa, Noboru; Ochi, Yoshihiro; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Terakawa, Kota*; Tomita, Takuro*; Yamamoto, Minoru; Nishikino, Masaharu; Oba, Toshiyuki; Kaihori, Takeshi; Imazono, Takashi; et al.

X-Ray Lasers 2010; Springer Proceedings in Physics, Vol.136, p.353 - 358, 2011/12

http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB05543208

The understanding of the dynamics of the initial process is important for the micro processing and welding by the ultra-short laser pulse. The X-ray laser is suitable for probing this initial process because it has short wavelength (Ni-like Ag, 13.9 nm) and short duration (7 ps). For this investigation, the origin of time of the pumping pulse is quite important. In this study, we used the scintillation plate and the plasma gate technique to realize the spatial and temporal synchronization of the pump and probe pulses. For the spatial alignment, a CsI scintillation plate that was set at the sample position was illuminated by both the X-ray laser pulse, and the fluorescence light were detected by the CCD camera. For the temporal synchronization, we set a thin foil at the sample position. We measured the transmission of the X-ray laser while changing a temporal delay of the pumping laser with respect to the time of X-ray laser pulse to obtain the origin of the irradiation time.

Development of a specimen holder combined with ultra thin film laser plasma X-ray source for compact contact-type soft X-ray microscope to observe hydrated living biologocal cells

Ishino, Masahiko; Kado, Masataka; Shinohara, Kunio*; Yamamoto, Yoshimasa*; Hirai, Itaru*; Kishimoto, Maki; Nishikino, Masaharu; Hasegawa, Noboru; Tamotsu, Satoshi*; Yasuda, Keiko*; et al.

Proceedings of SPIE Europe Optics + Optoelectronics 2011, Vol.8139, p.81390R_1 - 81390R_8, 2011/09

https://doi.org/10.1117/12.892864

Ultra thin gold films are favorable laser plasma targets for a soft X-ray microscopy, because the thin films emit intense soft X-rays at the wavelength of water window region. Using rear side emissions, the distance between the X-ray source and the specimens can be reduced so that the X-ray flux on specimens increases. The microscope system can be designed to be compact when the specimen holder and X-ray source are combined in one piece. The biological specimen holder combined with an ultra thin film target has been developed. This X-ray microscope system needs not any X-ray optics which causes a decrease in X-ray photons for imaging. X-ray images of hydrated living cells have been obtained successfully by use of the newly developed specimen holder. Specimen holder combined with plasma X-ray source will be a key component of a compact soft X-ray microscope using in a laboratory.

Single-shot picosecond interferometry with one-nanometer resolution for dynamical surface morphology using a soft X-ray laser

Suemoto, Toru; Terakawa, Kota*; Ochi, Yoshihiro; Tomita, Takuro*; Yamamoto, Minoru; Hasegawa, Noboru; Deki, Manato*; Minami, Yasuo*; Kawachi, Tetsuya

Optics Express (Internet), 18(13), p.14114 - 14122, 2010/06

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.014114

Using highly coherent radiation at a wavelength of 13.9 nm from a Ag-plasma soft X-ray laser, we constructed a pump-and-probe interferometer based on a double Lloyd's mirror system. The spatial resolutions are evaluated with a test pattern, showing 1.8 micrometers lateral resolution, and 1-nm depth sensitivity. This instrument enables a single-shot observation of the surface morphology with a 7-ps time-resolution. We succeeded in observing a nanometer scale surface dilation of Pt films at the early stage of the ablation process initiated by a 70 fs near infrared pump pulse.

Failure patterns of high-grade glioma treated with BNCT

Matsuda, Masahide*; Yamamoto, Tetsuya*; Nakai, Kei*; Endo, Kiyoshi*; Kumada, Hiroaki; Kageji, Teruyoshi*; Matsumura, Akira*

Proceedings of 12th International Congress on Neutron Capture Therapy (ICNCT-12), p.40 - 42, 2006/10

To describe the failure patterns and survival seen with high-grade glioma treated with BNCT, the dose distribution and the clinical responses were retrospectively analyzed. BSH-based BNCT was performed in 12 patients with high-grade glioma (grade IV 7, grade III 5). The post-diagnosis median survival time of 12 patients was 19.8 months (range 3.3-47.2). Four cases of local control, 3 of local recurrence, 3 of distant intraparenchymal recurrence and 2 of subarachnoid dissemination were recorded. According to the analysis of the failure patterns, minimum GTV dose of 26 GyEq or more is necessary for local control.

Estimation methods of blood boron concentration and error evaluation during boron neutron capture therapy for malignant brain tumor

Shibata, Yasushi*; Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi; Matsumura, Akira*; Yamamoto, Tetsuya*; Hori, Naohiko; Kishi, Toshiaki; Kumada, Hiroaki; Akutsu, Hiroyoshi*; Yasuda, Susumu*; Nakai, Kei*; et al.

JAERI-Research 2005-009, 41 Pages, 2005/03

JAERI-Research-2005-009.pdf:1.99MB

The measurement of neutron flux and boron concentration in the blood during medical irradiation is indispensable in order to evaluate the radiation in boron neutron capture therapy. It is, however, difficult to measure the blood boron concentration during neutron irradiation because access to the patient is limited. Therefore we prospectively investigated the predictability of blood boron concentrations using the data obtained at the first craniotomy after infusion of a low dosage of BSH. When the test could not be carried out, the blood boron concentration during irradiation was also predicted by using the 2-compartment model. If the final boron concentration after the end of the infusion is within 95% confidence interval of the prediction, direct prediction from biexponential fit will reduce the error of blood boron concentrations during irradiation to around 6%. If the final boron concentration at 6 or 9 hours after the end of infusion is out of 95% confidence interval of the prediction, proportional adjustment will reduce error and expected error after adjustment to around 12%.

Improvement of dose calculation accuracy for BNCT dosimetry by the multi-voxel method in JCDS

Kumada, Hiroaki; Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi; Yamamoto, Tetsuya*; Nakai, Kei*; Nakagawa, Yoshinobu*; Kageji, Teruyoshi*; Matsumura, Akira*

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 61(5), p.1045 - 1050, 2004/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.05.067

To carry out the BNCT clinical trials based on accurate dosimetry of several absorbed doses given to a patient, we have developed JCDS which can determine the absorbed doses by numerical simulation. The aim of this study is to improve the accuracy of the BNCT dosimetry efficiently. We have developed the multi-voxel calculation method reconstructing the original voxel model by combining of several voxel cell sizes such as in 5mm, 10mm and 20mm voxel cell. To verify the accuracy of the multi-voxel method, the calculation results were compared with the phantom experimental data. These results proved that the multi-voxel calculation enables JCDS to more accurately estimate the absorbed doses to a patient by efficient calculations.