JP6004559B2 - Neutron irradiation room - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for suppressing activation of a wall body in a room where neutrons are used, such as neutron capture therapy (BNCT), and more specifically, from a boron-containing resin. The present invention relates to a neutron shielding structure that suppresses activation of a wall body by causing the shielding body to absorb neutrons and a neutron irradiation chamber having the neutron shielding structure.

  Neutron capture therapy is a treatment method in which a boron compound is taken into cancer cells and the cancer cells are destroyed by a nuclear reaction between the boron and neutrons. Boron (especially 10B) has the property of reacting with low energy neutrons such as thermal neutrons, and as a result of the fission reaction between boron and neutrons in cancer cells, powerful particle beams (alpha rays) are generated. Cancer particles are destroyed by this particle beam.

  The range of the particle beam generated by the fission reaction is about the diameter of cancer cells (about 10 to 14 μm), and does not affect normal cells other than cancer cells. Since conventional X-ray and gamma-ray treatments give normal cells the same physical damage as cancer cells, neutron capture therapy is also called "cancer cell selective therapy", especially for malignant brain tumors and malignant melanomas. Currently, it is considered the most ideal treatment for treatment.

  By the way, in neutron capture therapy, a neutron beam is irradiated to a patient using an accelerator or the like, but it is naturally performed in a room closed with a wall or the like so that the neutron beam does not leak outside. Of course, not all irradiated neutrons are absorbed by the patient, but partially absorbed by the wall or the like. Since neutrons do not have an electric charge, it is relatively easy to reach the nuclei in the substance, and the absorption phenomenon of low-energy neutrons suitably used in neutron capture therapy is remarkable. As a result of the absorption of neutrons, a part of the material constituting the wall body may cause a so-called activation phenomenon from a stable isotope to a radioactive isotope.

  When neutron capture therapy is performed for many years, the wall body is activated, and as a result, radiation is emitted from the wall body, and the person in the room receives unnecessary exposure. In addition, for example, activated wall concrete needs to be disposed as radioactive waste, which imposes a large disposal cost compared to ordinary waste.

  As described above, when neutrons are irradiated in a closed room such as neutron capture therapy, the activation of the wall was a major problem. Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for shielding a neutron beam using a boron (boron) -containing sheet.

JP, 2014-102082, A

  In the technique proposed in Patent Document 1, a room equipped with an accelerator and a room equipped with a beam dump device are partitioned by a concrete wall, and a boron-containing sheet is pasted on the accelerator installation side (radiation source side) of the concrete wall. It is what you attach. The neutron reflected by the beam dump device is decelerated by passing through the concrete wall, and as a result, it is expected that neutron absorption by the boron-containing sheet is further promoted.

  However, in Patent Document 1, the concrete wall that partitions the two rooms directly absorbs neutron beams, and the room on the beam dump device side may be subjected to unnecessary exposure in the future, and when the concrete wall is disposed of Requires a great deal of disposal costs as radioactive waste. In addition, when a boron-containing sheet is directly attached to a concrete wall, the boron-containing sheet may be peeled off due to deterioration of the concrete surface or water leakage, etc. There is a need and a considerable number of steps must be scheduled.

  Furthermore, when a boron-containing sheet is directly attached to a concrete wall, the following problems can be pointed out. As described above, boron has a property of easily reacting with neutrons, that is, has a property of easily absorbing neutrons. However, not all of the neutrons that are irradiated are absorbed, so some of them pass through to the back. At that time, if the concrete wall is in contact with the boron-containing sheet, the transmitted neutrons are directly absorbed by the concrete wall. This cannot sufficiently suppress the activation of the concrete wall.

  On the other hand, in a closed room where neutron capture therapy or the like is performed, a shielding sliding door for entering the room may be provided. In addition to the sliding door main body, this shielding sliding door has incidental facilities including its power mechanism, and a door pocket for storing the shielding sliding door is also installed. For reasons such as safety or appearance, it is necessary to cover the surfaces such as shielding sliding doors and door pockets including these incidental facilities, and therefore an inspection door is installed. The inspection door is openable so that the sliding door main body and incidental facilities can be inspected as necessary.

  By the way, the inspection door is generally made of, for example, a strong iron member. However, activated iron is a material that has a half-life of several tens of days to several years, and is intended to reduce activation. It was necessary to attach a boron-containing sheet or the like to the surface. Since boron-containing sheets and the like cannot be expected to have strength themselves, it was necessary to use an appropriate amount of iron in order to produce an inspection door.

The problem of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, that is, to effectively suppress the activation of the wall of the room using neutrons, and moreover, compared to the prior art without relying on skilled profession. It is to provide a neutron shielding structure that can be constructed in a short process and a neutron irradiation chamber using this structure . Further, regarding the inspection door used in the neutron irradiation chamber, it is one of the problems of the present invention to reduce the amount of iron used.

  The invention of the present application was made by paying attention to providing a shield made of boron-containing resin on the indoor side and securing a predetermined separation between the wall and the shield. Is based on.

The neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention includes a wall body provided with a neutron irradiation port for irradiating neutrons, a shielding sliding door, a doorcase for housing the shielding sliding door, and an inspection door. And the neutron irradiation chamber of the state which closed the shielding sliding door becomes closed space with a shielding sliding door and a wall. The inspection door is of an openable / closable type and includes a support body and a shielding body fixed to the support body. The support is a frame-like or lattice-like frame made of a steel frame material. One shield is a thin-film or plate-shaped member made of a boron-containing resin, and is arranged so as to cover the space between the frame material and fixed to the frame. The inspection door is installed so as to cover the indoor side of the door pocket in a state where the support body is on the door pocket side and the shield is on the indoor side.

The neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention may be provided with a support having a recess provided in a part of the surface of the frame member. In this case, the shielding body is disposed so as to fit into the recesses on the surface of the frame material, and as a result, the surface of the frame material and the surface of the shielding body are substantially the same surface (including the same surface).

In the neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention, a shield having a thickness of 10 mm or more may be used, and the shield may be fixed to the surface of the support with screws or bolts.

In the neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention, a shield in which the amount of boron occupies 10% or more of the total weight can be used.

The inspection door used in the neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention can also be used as a neutron shielding structure that suppresses the activation of the wall. Hereinafter, this will be described as a neutron shielding structure of the present invention.

  The neutron shielding structure of the present invention includes a support and a shielding body, and is a structure that suppresses activation of the wall body by neutrons. A thin-film or plate-shaped shield made of boron-containing resin is fixed to the support. And it is the structure installed so that a support body may become a wall body side and a shielding body may become a neutron absorption side.

  The neutron shielding structure of the present invention may be a structure in which the support is an interior base. In this case, the shield is fixed to the surface of the interior base.

  The neutron shielding structure of the present invention may be a structure in which a separation portion is provided between the wall body and the interior base, and a predetermined distance is secured between the wall body and the shielding body.

  The neutron shielding structure of the present invention may be a structure in which a boron-containing neutron absorber is injected at the joint between the shielding body and the shielding body when a plurality of shielding bodies are fixed to the surface of the interior base.

The neutron shielding structure and the neutron irradiation chamber have the following effects.
(1) Since the shielding body made of boron-containing resin is fixed to the wall surface on the indoor side using neutrons, the activation of the wall body can be effectively suppressed.
(2) Since the interior base or the separation part is arranged between the shield and the wall, and a predetermined distance is secured between the wall and the shield, the wall is more effectively activated. Can be suppressed.
(3) When a plurality of shields are fixed, it is possible to suppress activation of the wall without leakage by injecting a boron-containing neutron absorber at the joint between the shields and the shields.
(4) By making the shield into a plate-like member with a thickness of 10 mm or more, it is possible to fix it with screws or bolts on the surface of the interior base, and without relying on skilled professionals, it is a shorter process than before. Can be built with.
(5) The amount of iron used for the inspection door can be reduced by making the support body a frame-like or lattice-like frame made of a frame material.

The top view which shows the state by which the neutron shielding structure of this invention was provided in 1 surface of the wall body in the room where neutron capture therapy is performed. The top view which shows the state in which the neutron shielding structure of this invention was provided in three surfaces of the wall body in the room where neutron capture therapy is performed. The top view which shows the state in which the neutron shielding structure of this invention was provided in four surfaces of the wall body in the room where neutron capture therapy is performed. Sectional drawing which shows the neutron shielding structure of this invention. The front view which shows the neutron shielding structure of this invention. The graph which showed the neutron dose from a neutron beam irradiation port to a wall body, respectively in the neutron shielding structure of this invention and the conventional structure which affixed the shield body directly on the wall body. (A) is a graph showing calculation results for the amount of Na-24 produced in the neutron shielding structure of the present invention and the conventional structure, and (b) is the amount of Al-28 produced in the neutron shielding structure of the present invention and the conventional structure. The graph which shows the calculation result which calculated | required. The graph which shows the calculation result which calculated | required the production amount of the long half life nuclide (Co-60) in the neutron shielding structure of this invention and the conventional structure. The top view which shows the neutron irradiation chamber of this invention. The front view which shows the neutron irradiation chamber of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the neutron irradiation chamber of this invention. (A) is a front view which shows the inspection door used for the neutron irradiation chamber of this invention, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the inspection door used for the neutron irradiation chamber of this invention.

  An example of an embodiment of a neutron shielding structure and a neutron irradiation chamber will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state where the neutron shielding structure of the present invention is provided in a room where neutron capture therapy is performed. Here, for convenience, an example in a room where neutron capture therapy is performed will be described. However, the present invention can be implemented in a room for other purposes as long as it is a room where neutrons are used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this room is closed by a wall 10 made of concrete or the like. An accelerator main body is installed outside the room, and a neutron irradiation port 20 is provided at a predetermined position in the room. A neutron beam is irradiated from the irradiation port toward the patient.

  A shield 30 and an interior base 40 that is a support for fixing the shield 30 are disposed at the tip of the neutron beam. The neutron beam may be irradiated in one direction as shown in FIG. 1, but may be irradiated in multiple directions as shown in FIGS. In that case, the shield 30 and the interior base 40 are arranged on the three surfaces of the wall 10 as shown in FIG. 2, or the shield 30 and the interior base 40 are arranged on the four sides as shown in FIG. In addition, the shield 30 and the interior base 40 can be disposed on the ceiling or floor.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the neutron shielding structure of the present invention. As shown in this figure, a clearance having a predetermined width (hereinafter referred to as a “separation part 50”) is provided in front of the wall body 10 (right side in the figure), and an interior base 40 is disposed in front of the separation part 50. The shield 30 is fixed to the front surface of the interior base 40. In addition, regarding the ceiling surface, after providing the separation part 50, the shield 30 and the interior base 40 can be installed, and the shield 30 is disposed so as to be in contact with the ceiling surface (for example, ceiling concrete), It can also be fixed by screws or bolts (or by anchoring an aluminum plate from the surface).

  By arranging the separation portion 50 and the interior base 40 in this manner, a considerable distance is secured between the wall body 10 and the shielding body 30. As will be described later, since the dose of neutrons that have passed through the shield 30 decreases as the distance from the shield 30 increases, a certain distance between the wall 10 and the shield 30 ensures a neutron wall. The influence on the body 10 can be greatly reduced. It is also possible to omit the separation portion 50 and arrange the interior base 40 so as to be in contact with the wall 10, that is, to secure a predetermined distance between the wall 10 and the shield 30 only by the interior base 40. .

  The shield 30 is a thin or plate-like planar member made of a boron-containing resin, and for example, a member obtained by molding a resin containing B4C can be used. Of course, as long as it is a resin material containing boron, not only the B4C resin, but also other resin materials such as a member in which boric anhydride is mixed with the resin or a member in which powdered boroborolite is mixed in the resin may be used as the shield 30. Can also be used. The inventor has confirmed that neutrons are effectively absorbed when the weight of boron contained in the shield 30 is 10% or more of the total weight, and therefore, boron of 10% or more of the total weight. It is desirable to employ a shield 30 that includes the amount.

  When the thin film-like or plate-like shield 30 is attached to the interior base 40 with an adhesive or the like, it can also be attached with an adhesive or the like, but when the adhesive surface of the interior base 40 is narrow or the shield 30 is heavy The shield 30 may be peeled off. If it can be fixed to the interior base 40 with screws or bolts, the possibility of peeling will be reduced, and the fixing operation will be greatly facilitated. In this case, if the shield 30 has a thickness of 10 mm or more, it is preferable that the shield 30 is not damaged by screws or bolts.

  FIG. 5 is a front view showing the neutron shielding structure of the present invention. As shown in this figure, normally, a plurality of shields 30 are arranged in a plane and fixed to the interior base 40. At that time, a seam is provided between the shields 30 adjacent to each other, and neutrons may pass through the seam as a gap. Therefore, it is desirable to absorb neutrons without leakage by injecting a boron-containing neutron absorber at the seam. The shielding body 30 can be used as it is as a final interior finishing material, or an interior base and a final interior finishing material can be further installed on the surface side (indoor side) of the shielding body 30.

  The interior base 40 can be formed of a steel material such as a lightweight steel frame (LGS: Light Gauge Steel). In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the interior base 40 is formed by forming a vertical interior base material 40V in a vertical posture and a horizontal interior base material 40H in a horizontal posture with a space between them. You can also.

(Test results)
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the neutron dose from the neutron beam irradiation port to the wall body 10 in each of the neutron shielding structure of the present invention and the conventional structure in which the shield body 30 is directly attached to the wall body 10. As shown in this figure, in the structure of the present invention, the indoor dose is reduced to about 1/3 compared to the conventional structure. This is considered to be caused by the difference in the amount of neutron absorption by the wall body 10, that is, the difference in reflection amount by which the wall body 10 reflects neutrons indoors. Moreover, in the structure of this invention, since the shielding body 30 absorbs a neutron, it turns out that the dose reduction gradient of the neutron which permeate | transmitted the shielding body 30 becomes large, and the dose of a neutron falls remarkably, so that it leaves | separates from the shielding body 30.

  FIG. 7 shows the calculation results for the amount of short half-life nuclide generated in the neutron shielding structure of the present invention and the conventional structure. FIG. 7A shows the case where the short half-life nuclide is Na-24, and FIG. This is the case when the half-life nuclide is Al-28. The amount of short half-life nuclide produced greatly affects the exposure of patients and medical personnel immediately after irradiation. As can be seen from this figure, the production amount of short-lived nuclides such as Na-24 and Al-28 in the neutron shielding structure of the present invention is reduced by about 30% compared to the production amount in the conventional structure. It can be confirmed that the exposure reduction effect of the neutron shielding structure is remarkable.

  FIG. 8 is a graph showing calculation results for the amount of long half-life nuclide (Co-60) produced in the neutron shielding structure of the present invention and the conventional structure. When the generation amount of the long half-life nuclide increases, it is necessary to dispose the wall body 10 as radioactive waste when the facility is abolished. As a result, a great disposal cost is imposed as compared with ordinary waste. Focusing on Co-60, which is said to have the largest amount of production, and a trial calculation of the amount of production after 30 years of facility (Fig. 8), in the case of the conventional structure, ordinary concrete up to a depth of 25cm is the standard value (0.1Bq / G), which must be disposed of as radioactive waste. On the other hand, in the case of the neutron shielding structure of the present invention, all of the ordinary concrete is below the standard value, and it is not necessary to dispose as radioactive waste.

(Neutron irradiation room)
9 is a plan view showing the neutron irradiation chamber of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a front view showing the neutron irradiation chamber, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 9, the neutron irradiation chamber is substantially surrounded by a wall 10. And there is an open part that can enter the room, and a shielding sliding door 60 is arranged in this open part. When entering the neutron irradiation chamber, the shielding sliding door 60 slides in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 9) and is housed in a door pocket 70 which is a space for housing the shielding sliding door 60. FIG. 11 shows a state where the shielding sliding door 60 is housed in the door pocket 70.

  An inspection door 80 is installed on the irradiation chamber side of the door pocket 70. As can be seen from the front view of FIG. 10 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 11, the inspection door 80 is disposed so as to cover the entire indoor side of the door pocket 70. At this time, the door pocket 70 can be covered with one inspection door 80, or the door pocket 70 can be covered with a plurality of inspection doors 80 as shown in the figure. Further, as described above, the inspection door 80 is of an openable / closable type so that the sliding door main body and incidental facilities can be inspected as necessary. The opening / closing direction may be a horizontal direction, or may be opened / closed in a vertical direction like the upper inspection door 80 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a detailed view showing the inspection door 80, (a) is a front view thereof, and (b) is a sectional view. As shown in this figure, the inspection door 80 is mainly composed of a narrow plate frame member 81 and the shield 30 (a thin film or plate member made of a boron-containing resin) described above. The frame member 81 is made of, for example, steel, and is disposed on the two sides around the shield 30 as shown in FIG. 12A to form a frame that is a support. Or it can also be set as the frame which has arrange | positioned the frame material 81 on the circumference | surroundings 4 sides of the shielding body 30, and it can also be set as a frame body as the grid | lattice form by which the frame material 81 is arrange | positioned also in the intermediate part of the shielding body 30. . Then, the shield 30 is disposed so as to cover between the frame member 81 and the frame member 81 (in other words, spanned between the frame member 81 and the frame member 81), and the frame member (the frame member 81). ).

  As shown in FIG. 12B, the frame member 81 is bent when viewed in cross section. And a level | step difference ("recessed part shown in a figure") is provided in a part, and the shielding body 30 can also be arrange | positioned here. If the height of the recess (that is, the height of the step) is made substantially the same as the member thickness of the shielding body 30, the surface of the frame member 81 and the surface of the shielding body 30 become substantially the same surface (including the same surface), It is also suitable for aesthetics. If the shield 30 is a plate-like member, it can be fixed to the frame member 81 (frame) with screws or bolts as described above. Also in this case, if the shield 30 has a thickness of 10 mm or more, it is preferable that the shield 30 is not damaged by screws or bolts.

  The neutron shielding structure and the neutron irradiation chamber can be used particularly effectively in medical institutions that perform neutron capture therapy, storage facilities for used nuclear fuel, disposal facilities, and the like. The invention of the present application solves the problem that the room that uses neutrons currently has, that is, not only can it be used industrially, but also makes a great contribution to society, considering the promotion of the spread of neutron capture therapy. It is an invention to obtain.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Wall body 20 Neutron irradiation opening 30 Shielding body 40 Interior base 40V Vertical interior base material 40H Horizontal interior base material 50 Separation part 60 Shielding sliding door 70 Door bag 80 Inspection door 81 Frame material (inspection door)

Claims (4)

A wall body provided with an irradiation port for irradiating neutrons, a shielding sliding door, a doorcase for storing the shielding sliding door, and an inspection door are configured, and
With the shielding sliding door closed, in the neutron irradiation chamber that becomes a closed space by the shielding sliding door and the wall body,
The inspection door is openable and includes a support and a shield fixed to the support.
The support is a frame-like or lattice-like frame made of a steel frame material,
The shield is a thin-film or plate-shaped member made of a boron-containing resin, and is arranged so as to cover between the frame material and the frame material, and is fixed to the frame body,
The neutron irradiation chamber , wherein the inspection door is installed so as to cover the indoor side of the door pocket in a state where the support body is on the door pocket side and the shield is on the indoor side . A recess is provided in a part of the surface of the frame member,
The plate-shaped shield is arranged so as to fit into the recess,
The neutron irradiation chamber according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the frame member and a surface of the shielding body are the same surface or substantially the same surface. The shield has a thickness of 10 mm or more,
The neutron irradiation chamber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shield is fixed to the surface of the support with screws or bolts. The neutron irradiation chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shielding body occupies 10% or more of the total amount of boron.

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