WO2014132501A1 - Neutron capture therapy system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a neutron capture therapy system with which irradiation-chamber preparation time can be shortened. This neutron capture therapy system (100) irradiates a patient (S) with a neutron beam (N). The neutron capture therapy system (100) is provided with: irradiation chambers (30A, 30B) which are each provided with a chamber interior capable of having the patient (S) disposed therein in order to irradiate the patient (S) with the neutron beam (N), and which are surrounded by shielding walls (W1) for blocking chamber-exterior-bound radiation of the neutron beam (N) from the chamber interiors; a neutron beam generation unit (10) which is capable of irradiating the chamber interiors of the irradiation chambers (30A, 30B) with the neutron beam (N); and a treatment table (80) upon which the patient (S) is placed, and which is configured so as to be capable of moving between chamber exteriors and the chamber interiors of the irradiation chambers (30A, 30B).

Description

Neutron capture therapy system

The present invention relates to a neutron capture therapy system for irradiating an irradiated object with a neutron beam.

Patent Document 1 describes a neutron beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates a patient with an irradiation target with a neutron beam. This neutron beam irradiation apparatus can easily align the neutron outlet of the collimator and the irradiation target and improve the irradiation accuracy. The neutron beam irradiation apparatus includes a mounting table on which a patient is mounted, a decelerating apparatus that decelerates neutrons, and a collimator that converges neutrons. The mounting table and the collimator are provided to be movable relative to the speed reducer along the neutron extraction direction.

In the neutron beam irradiation apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the speed reducer is embedded in the wall of the irradiation chamber, and the mounting table and the collimator are arranged in the irradiation chamber. When a treatment is performed using a neutron beam irradiation apparatus, a neutron beam is irradiated after performing preparatory work such as alignment between the collimator and the patient on the mounting table. Since the collimator and the mounting table are arranged in the irradiation chamber, the alignment operation is performed in the irradiation chamber.

JP 2009-189725 A

However, radiation therapy using neutron radiation tends to have a higher radiation dose in the irradiation chamber for irradiating the patient with neutron radiation than other radiation therapy. Therefore, in the field of radiation therapy using neutron beams, it is desired to shorten the preparation time in the irradiation chamber.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a neutron capture therapy system that can shorten the preparation time in an irradiation chamber.

A neutron capture therapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a neutron capture therapy system that irradiates an irradiated body with a neutron beam, and the irradiated body can be arranged indoors to irradiate the irradiated body with a neutron beam An irradiation chamber covered with a shielding wall for blocking neutron radiation from the room to the outside of the room, a neutron beam generator capable of emitting neutrons in the room of the irradiation room, and an irradiated object are placed And a mounting table configured to be movable between the inside and the outside of the irradiation chamber.

In the neutron capture therapy system according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the mounting table can move between the inside and the outside of the irradiation chamber, the preparatory work for irradiating the irradiated object with the neutron beam is performed. Can be carried out outside the irradiation chamber after being moved outside the irradiation chamber. Therefore, part of the preparation work in the irradiation chamber can be performed outside the irradiation room, so that the time required for the preparation work in the irradiation chamber can be reduced.

The neutron capture therapy system according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a preparation room arranged in parallel with the irradiation room, and a mark for alignment of the irradiated object is provided in the room of the preparation room. According to such a configuration, the alignment of the irradiated object in the irradiation chamber can be simulated by aligning the irradiated object with respect to the mark in the preparation chamber. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for aligning the irradiated object in the irradiation chamber.

Further, a collimator for defining the irradiation range of the neutron beam and a first position defining unit for defining the position of the mounting table in the room of the irradiation chamber are provided in the room of the irradiation chamber. A second position defining unit for defining the position of the mounting table in the room of the preparation room is further provided, and the positional relationship between the mark and the second position defining unit is between the collimator and the first position defining unit. It is the same as the positional relationship. According to such a configuration, the object to be irradiated is positioned with respect to the mark after the object to be irradiated is placed on the mounting table positioned by the second position defining portion in the preparation room. And if the mounting base which mounted the to-be-irradiated body is moved to an irradiation chamber and the position of a mounting base is positioned by a 1st position prescription | regulation part, it will be in the state by which alignment with the collimator and to-be-irradiated body was made. Accordingly, since the alignment operation between the collimator and the irradiated object in the irradiation chamber can be performed in the preparation chamber in a simulated manner, the time required for the alignment operation of the irradiated object in the irradiation chamber can be further shortened.

Further, the mounting table has a base part and a top plate that is arranged on the base part and supports the irradiated object, and the top board can rotate around the vertical axis with respect to the base part. According to such a structure, the longitudinal direction of a top plate can be match | combined with the moving direction of a mounting base by rotating a top plate with respect to a base part. For this reason, the size of the entrance and the like through which the mounting table passes is defined by the size of the base portion, not the length of the top plate portion in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the expansion of the size of the entrance / exit through which the mounting table passes can be suppressed.

According to the neutron capture therapy system of the present invention, the preparation time in the irradiation chamber can be shortened.

It is a mimetic diagram showing the neutron capture therapy system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the vicinity of the neutron beam output part of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the treatment table of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating position alignment with a patient and a collimator. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on a modification. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on a modification. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating position alignment with a patient and a collimator. It is a figure which shows the structure of the neutron capture therapy system which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Further, with respect to the X axis in the emission direction of neutron beam N emitted from neutron beam output unit 12A described later, the Y axis in the direction perpendicular to the emission direction of neutron beam N emitted from neutron beam output unit 12A, and the floor surface Then, an XYZ coordinate system taking the Z axis in the vertical direction is set (see FIG. 3), and X, Y, and Z are used to describe the positional relationship of each component.

<First Embodiment>
A neutron capture therapy system according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a neutron capture therapy system 100 according to the first embodiment. The neutron capture therapy system 100 is a device that performs cancer treatment using boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Neutron capture therapy performs cancer treatment by irradiating a patient (irradiated body) to which boron ( ¹⁰ B) is administered with neutron beams. As shown in FIG. 1, in the neutron capture therapy using the neutron capture therapy system 100, preparatory work such as restraining the patient on the treatment table (mounting table) 80 is performed in the room of the preparation room 50A, and the treatment table for each patient is performed. 80 is moved to the irradiation chamber 30A. The patient is irradiated with neutron beams in the irradiation chamber 30A.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the neutron capture therapy system 100. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the neutron capture therapy system 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the neutron capture therapy system 100 includes a neutron beam generation unit 10 for generating and irradiating a therapeutic neutron beam N, and an irradiation chamber for irradiating the patient with the neutron beam N. 30A, 30B, preparation rooms 50A, 50B for preparing for irradiation, and a management room 70 for managing work processes.

The neutron beam generator 10 is configured to generate a neutron beam N in irradiation chambers 30A and 30B, which will be described later, and to irradiate the patient S with the neutron beam N. The neutron beam generation unit 10 includes an accelerator 11 (for example, a cyclotron), a neutron beam output unit 12A and a neutron beam output unit 12B that generate a neutron beam N from the charged particle beam P, and a charged particle beam P as a neutron beam output unit 12A. Or the beam transport path 13 transported to the neutron beam output part 12B is provided. The accelerator 11 and the beam transport path 13 are arranged in a Y-shaped charged particle beam generation chamber 10a (see FIG. 3). The charged particle beam generation chamber 10a is a closed space covered with a concrete shielding wall W.

The accelerator 11 accelerates charged particles (for example, protons), creates charged particle beams P (for example, proton beams), and emits them. The accelerator 11 has, for example, the ability to generate a charged particle beam P with a beam radius of 40 mm and 60 kW (= 30 MeV × 2 mA).

The beam transport path 13 selectively emits the charged particle beam P to either the neutron beam output unit 12A or the neutron beam output unit 12B. The beam transport path 13 includes a first transport unit 14 connected to the accelerator 11, a beam direction switch 15 that switches the traveling direction of the charged particle beam P, and a transport for transporting the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam output unit 12A. 16 A of 2nd transport parts and the 3rd transport part 16B for transporting the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam output part 12B are provided. The second transport unit 16A is connected to the beam direction switch 15 and the neutron beam output unit 12A. The third transport unit 16B is connected to the beam direction switch 15 and the neutron beam output unit 12B. That is, the beam transport path 13 branches into the second transport unit 16A and the third transport unit 16B in the beam direction switch 15.

The beam direction switch 15 controls the traveling direction of the charged particle beam P using a switching electromagnet. The beam direction switch 15 can remove the charged particle beam P from the normal trajectory and guide it to a beam dump (not shown). According to the beam dump, the output of the charged particle beam P can be confirmed before treatment or the like. The neutron capture therapy system 100 may have a configuration that does not include a beam dump. In this case, the beam direction switch 15 is not connected to the beam dump.

Each of the first transport unit 14, the second transport unit 16A, and the third transport unit 16B includes a beam adjusting unit 17 for the charged particle beam P. The beam adjusting unit 17 is for horizontal and horizontal steering for adjusting the axis of the charged particle beam P, a quadrupole electromagnet for suppressing the divergence of the charged particle beam P, and for shaping the charged particle beam P. Including four-way slits. Each of the first transport unit 14, the second transport unit 16 </ b> A, and the third transport unit 16 </ b> B may be configured without the beam adjustment unit 17.

Note that the second transport unit 16A and the third transport unit 16B may include a current monitor as necessary. The current monitor measures the current value (that is, charge, irradiation dose rate) of the charged particle beam P irradiated to the neutron beam output unit 12A and the neutron beam output unit 12B in real time. Further, the second transport unit 16A and the third transport unit 16B may include a charged particle beam scanning unit 18 (see FIG. 4) as necessary. The charged particle beam scanning unit 18 scans the charged particle beam P and controls irradiation of the charged particle beam P to the target T (see FIG. 4). The charged particle beam scanning unit 18 controls the irradiation position of the charged particle beam P with respect to the target T, for example.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the vicinity of the neutron beam output unit 12A of the neutron capture therapy system 100. FIG. Here, the neutron beam output unit 12A and the neutron beam output unit 12B have the same configuration. Accordingly, the neutron beam output unit 12A will be described below, and the description of the neutron beam output unit 12B will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 4, the neutron beam output unit 12A includes a target T for generating the neutron beam N, a moderator 12a for decelerating the neutron beam N, and a shield 12b. The moderator 12a and the shielding body 12b constitute a moderator.

The target T generates a neutron beam N when irradiated with the charged particle beam P. The target T is formed of, for example, beryllium (Be) and has a disk shape with a diameter of 160 mm.

The moderator 12a decelerates the neutron beam N emitted from the target T. The neutron beam N decelerated by the moderator 12a and reduced to a predetermined energy is also called a therapeutic neutron beam. The moderator 12a has, for example, a laminated structure made of a plurality of different materials. The material of the moderator 12a is appropriately selected according to various conditions such as the energy of the charged particle beam P. For example, when the output from the accelerator 11 (see FIG. 2) is a proton beam of 30 MeV and a beryllium target is used as the target T, the material of the moderator 12a is lead, iron, aluminum, or calcium fluoride. be able to. Moreover, when the output from the accelerator 11 is a proton beam of 11 MeV and a beryllium target is used as the target T, the material of the moderator 12a can be heavy water (D2O) or lead fluoride. Moreover, when the output from the accelerator 11 is a proton beam of 2.8 MeV and a lithium target is used as the target T, the material of the moderator 12a is fluental (trade name: aluminum, aluminum fluoride, lithium fluoride). A mixture of Moreover, when the output from the accelerator 11 is a proton beam of 50 MeV and a tungsten target is used as the target T, the material of the moderator 12a can be iron or fluenthal.

The shield 12b shields the neutron beam N and radiation such as gamma rays generated with the generation of the neutron beam N from being emitted to the outside, and separates the charged particle beam generation chamber 10a from the irradiation chamber 30A. At least a part thereof is embedded in W1 (see FIG. 3).

In the neutron beam output unit 12A, the charged particle beam P is irradiated onto the target T, whereby a neutron beam N is generated. The generated neutron beam N is decelerated by the moderator 12a. Then, the neutron beam N emitted from the moderator 12 a passes through the collimator 86 and is irradiated to the patient S on the treatment table 80. The neutron beam N includes a fast neutron beam, an epithermal neutron beam, and a thermal neutron beam, and is accompanied by gamma rays. Of these, the thermal neutron beam mainly reacts with the boron incorporated into the tumor in the body of the patient S to exert an effective therapeutic effect. A part of the epithermal neutron beam included in the beam of neutron beam N also becomes a thermal neutron beam that is decelerated in the body of the patient S and exhibits the above therapeutic effect. A thermal neutron beam is a neutron beam having an energy of 0.5 eV or less.

[Irradiation room]
The irradiation chambers 30A and 30B will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the neutron capture therapy system 100 includes two irradiation chambers 30A and 30B. The irradiation chamber 30A is disposed on an extension line in the direction in which the second transport portion 16A extends. The irradiation chamber 30B is disposed on an extension line in the direction in which the third transport portion 16B extends. The neutron beam N can also be extracted in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the second transport part 16A or the third transport part 16B extends. In this case, the arrangement of the irradiation chamber 30A is not limited to the extended line in the direction in which the second transport portion 16A extends, and the irradiation chamber 30A is arranged at a position corresponding to the extraction direction of the neutron beam N. Can do. Similarly, the arrangement of the irradiation chamber 30B is not limited to the extended line in the direction in which the third transport portion 16B extends, and the irradiation chamber 30B can be arranged at a position corresponding to the extraction direction of the neutron beam N. . Here, the irradiation chamber 30B has the same configuration as the irradiation chamber 30A. Accordingly, the irradiation chamber 30A will be described below, and the description of the irradiation chamber 30B will be omitted.

The irradiation room 30 </ b> A is a room in which the patient S is disposed in order to irradiate the patient S with the neutron beam N. As an example, the size of the irradiation chamber 30A is 3.5 m wide × 5 m deep × 3 m high. The irradiation chamber 30A includes a shielding space 30S surrounded by the shielding wall W2 and a door D1 for allowing the treatment table 80 to enter and exit.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a cover (wall body) 31 is provided between the irradiation chamber 30A and the shield 12b. The cover 31 forms a part of the side wall surface of the irradiation chamber 30A. The cover 31 is provided with a collimator mounting portion 31 a that serves as an output port for the neutron beam N. The collimator mounting portion 31a is an opening for fitting a collimator 86 described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shielding wall W2 forms a shielding space 30S in which radiation is prevented from entering the room from the outside of the irradiation room 30A and radiation is prevented from being emitted from the room to the outside. That is, the shielding wall W2 blocks the radiation of the neutron beam N from the inside of the irradiation chamber 30A to the outside. The shielding wall W2 may be formed integrally with the shielding wall W that defines the charged particle beam generation chamber 10a. The shielding wall W2 may be a concrete wall having a thickness of 2 m or more. A wall W1 separating the charged particle beam generation chamber 10a and the irradiation chamber 30A is provided between the charged particle beam generation chamber 10a and the irradiation chamber 30A. This wall W1 forms a part of the shielding wall W.

The door D1 is for suppressing radiation in the shielded space 30S from being emitted to the communication room 40A. The communication room 40A will be described later. The door D1 is provided so as to close an entrance that communicates with the communication chamber 40A. The door D1 is made of a radiation shielding member such as lead and has a predetermined thickness. The door D1 moves on a rail provided in the room of the irradiation chamber 30A with a driving force applied by a motor or the like. Since the door D1 is heavy, a high torque motor, a speed reducer, or the like is used as a mechanism for driving the door D1. Further, the door D1 may have a function of notifying the worker entering and exiting the irradiation chamber 30A. For example, the retreat of the operator from the irradiation chamber 30A may be confirmed by closing the door D1 in a state where the treatment table 80 is disposed in the irradiation chamber 30A.

Further, a camera 32 is disposed in the irradiation chamber 30A. The camera 32 is for observing the state of the patient S in the room of the irradiation room 30A. The camera 32 is arranged at a position where the patient S can be photographed in the irradiation chamber 30A. The camera 32 does not need to acquire a high-accuracy image, and only needs to be able to acquire an image that can confirm the state of the patient S. As the camera 32, for example, a CCD camera can be used.

[Preparation room]
The preparation rooms 50A and 50B will be described. The neutron capture therapy system 100 includes two preparation rooms 50A and 50B. The preparation chamber 50A is arranged so as to be separated from the irradiation chamber 30A along the Y-axis direction. Here, the preparation room 50B has the same configuration as the preparation room 50A. Therefore, the preparation room 50A will be described below, and the description of the preparation room 50B will be omitted.

The preparation room 50A is a room for performing work necessary for irradiating the patient S with the neutron beam N in the irradiation room 30A. In the preparation room 50A, for example, the restraint of the patient S on the treatment table 80 and the alignment between the collimator 86 and the patient S are performed (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the preparation room 50 </ b> A has a size that allows the treatment table 80 to be arranged and allows an operator to easily perform the preparation work around the treatment table 80.

A wall W3 separating the preparation chamber 50A and the irradiation chamber 30A is provided between the preparation chamber 50A and the irradiation chamber 30A. The thickness of the wall W3 is, for example, 3.2 m. That is, the preparation chamber 50A and the irradiation chamber 30A are separated by 3.2 m along the Y-axis direction.

The wall W3 is provided with a communication room 40A that communicates from the preparation room 50A to the irradiation room 30A. The communication room 40A is a room for moving the treatment table 80 restraining the patient S between the preparation room 50A and the irradiation room 30A. The communication room 40A has a width through which the treatment table 80 can pass. In addition, the communication room 40A has a height that allows an operator to walk through. Therefore, the size of the communication room 40A is, for example, 1.5 m wide × 3.2 m deep × 2.0 m high. A door D2 is disposed between the preparation room 50A and the communication room 40A. Note that a communication chamber 40B is provided on the wall W3 separating the preparation chamber 50B and the irradiation chamber 30B. The communication room 40B has the same configuration as the communication room 40A.

Note that the preparation rooms 50A and 50B may be shielded spaces surrounded by the shield walls W like the irradiation rooms 30A and 30B. The preparation rooms 50A and 50B may be spaces that are not surrounded by the shielding wall W.

[Management room]
The neutron capture therapy system 100 includes one management room 70. The management room 70 is a room for managing the entire process performed using the neutron capture therapy system 100. At least one administrator enters the management room 70 and manages the entire process using a monitoring device disposed in the management room 70 and a control device 71 for operating the neutron beam generation unit 10. For example, the manager who has entered the management room 70 visually checks the state of the preparation work in the preparation rooms 50 </ b> A and 50 </ b> B from the inside of the management room 70. Further, the manager who has entered the management room 70 operates the control device 71 to, for example, a beam transport path so as to irradiate the target T corresponding to the irradiation room 30A to be irradiated with the neutron beam N with the charged particle beam P. 13 is controlled. Furthermore, the manager who has entered the management room 70 operates the control device 71 to control the start and stop of irradiation with the neutron beam N. In the neutron capture therapy, a variety of preparation also before the patient S to enter the preparation room 50A, 50B (e.g., PET examination and, like the administration of such boron ⁽¹⁰ B)) is performed. The management room 70 may manage the entire process of neutron capture therapy including irradiation treatment by the neutron capture therapy system 100 by managing such preparation steps.

The management room 70 is disposed between the preparation room 50A and the preparation room 50B so as to be adjacent to the two preparation rooms 50A and 50B. The management room 70 is adjacent to the preparation room 50A at one corner and is adjacent to the preparation room 50B at another corner. Between the management room 70 and the preparation room 50A, a window 72A for viewing the inside of the preparation room 50A is arranged. Between the management room 70 and the preparation room 50B, a window 72B is provided for viewing the inside of the preparation room 50B. In the management room 70, a monitor 73 for displaying an image of the camera 32 provided in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B is arranged. The administrator can check the state of the patient S in the irradiation chamber 30 </ b> A from the camera image displayed on the monitor 73.

[Treatment table]
The treatment table (mounting table) 80 will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the treatment table 80 of the neutron capture therapy system 100. The treatment table 80 is a mounting table for neutron capture therapy. The treatment table 80 is for restraining the patient S to a predetermined posture and moving the patient S from the preparation chamber 50A to the irradiation chamber 30A while restraining the posture. As shown in FIG. 5, the treatment table 80 includes a base part 81, a drive part 82 for moving the base part 81 on the floor surface, and a top board (placement part) 83 for placing the patient S. A robot arm 84 for moving the top plate 83 relative to the base 81, a collimator 86 for defining the irradiation field of the neutron beam N, and for fixing the collimator 86 to the base 81 And a collimator fixing portion 87.

The base part 81 forms a base part of the treatment table 80. The base part 81 has a base part 81a and a support part 81b arranged on the base part 81a. The base portion 81a has a rectangular shape including a first side 81c and a second side 81d in plan view. For example, the first side 81c is longer than the second side 81d. The length of at least one of the first side 81c or the second side 81d of the base portion 81a is made smaller than the width of the communication chambers 40A and 40B. The support part 81b has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The lower surface of the support portion 81b is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 81a. A robot arm 84 and a collimator fixing portion 87 are disposed on the upper surface of the support portion 81b.

The drive part 82 is provided on the lower surface side of the base part 81 a in the base part 81. The drive unit 82 supports all the weights of the base unit 81, the robot arm 84, the top plate 83, the collimator 86, the collimator fixing unit 87, and the patient S, and enables them to move on the floor surface. For example, the driving unit 82 can use four wheels. These wheels are given a driving force for movement on the floor surface by a motor or the like.

The robot arm 84 is for moving the top plate 83 relative to the base portion 81. That is, the robot arm 84 is for moving the patient S restrained on the top plate 83 relative to the collimator 86 fixed to the base portion 81. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the height from a floor surface to the top plate 83, It is preferable to set to the height which can perform restraint etc. of the patient S on the top plate 83 easily. The robot arm 84 includes an elevating part 84a disposed on the upper surface side of the base part 81, a first arm 84b provided with one end side being rotatable about the vertical rotation axis A1 with respect to the elevating part 84a, and one end side being first. And a second arm 84c provided to be rotatable about the vertical rotation axis A2 with respect to the other end side of the one arm 84b. That is, the robot arm 84 has two vertical rotation axes A1 and A2 that are separated from each other in the horizontal direction.

The top plate 83 has a flat outer shape having a longitudinal direction. The top plate 83 is configured such that the position with respect to the base portion 81 can be adjusted. The length of the top plate 83 in the longitudinal direction is set to a length that allows the patient S to lie down, for example, 2 m. One end side of the top plate 83 is attached so as to be rotatable around the vertical axis A3 on the other end side of the second arm 84c. The top plate 83 is provided with a restraining tool (not shown) for fixing the body of the patient S. Note that the restraining tool may be attached to the top plate 83.

According to such a robot arm 84, the first arm 84b is rotated about the vertical rotation axis A1 with respect to the elevating part 84a, and the second arm 84c is rotated about the vertical rotation axis A2 with respect to the first arm 84b. The top plate 83 can be moved to a desired position in the XY plane by rotating the top plate 83 about the vertical rotation axis A3 with respect to the second arm 84c. Furthermore, the body of the patient S can be rotated around the vertical axis with respect to the irradiation direction of the neutron beam N. Further, the top plate 83 can be moved in the Z-axis direction by moving the elevating unit 84a up and down relative to the support unit 81b. Therefore, according to such a robot arm 84, the freedom degree of the posture of the patient S with respect to the collimator 86 fixed to the base part 81 can be improved.

The collimator 86 is for regulating the irradiation range of the neutron beam N. The collimator 86 is provided with, for example, a circular opening 86a for defining an irradiation range. Hereinafter, when the treatment table 80 is placed in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B and irradiated with the neutron beam N through the center of the irradiation field defined by the collimator 86, the upstream and downstream directions of the neutron beam N An imaginary axis extending to is referred to as an “irradiation center axis”, and is denoted by a reference symbol “C”. Further, the collimator 86 has, for example, a rectangular flat plate shape. The outer shape of the collimator 86 corresponds to the inner shape of the collimator mounting portion 31a in the irradiation chamber 30A.

The collimator fixing part 87 is fixed to the upper surface of the support part 81 b of the base part 81. The collimator fixing portion 87 is for holding the collimator 86 at a fixed position with respect to the base portion 81. The collimator fixing portion 87 includes a horizontal piece 87a and an upright piece 87b, and has a substantially L shape. One end of the horizontal piece 87a is fixed to the support portion 81b, and the other end projects from the side surface 81e of the support portion 81b in the direction along the X axis. The width of the horizontal piece 87a in the horizontal direction (Y axis) is smaller than the width of the base portion 81 in the horizontal direction (Y axis). The standing piece 87b has one end fixed to the other end of the horizontal piece 87a and a collimator 86 attached to the other end that extends upward.

Since the standing piece 87b is fixed to the horizontal piece 87a that protrudes in the direction along the X axis from the side surface 81e of the base portion 81, the collimator 86 is a position that protrudes in the horizontal direction from the side surface 81e of the base portion 81. Is held in. By holding the collimator 86 at such a position, when the collimator 86 is attached to the collimator attachment portion 31 a of the cover 31, it is possible to suppress the base portion 81, the top plate 83, and the like from interfering with the cover 31.

The horizontal width H1 of the collimator fixing portion 87 is smaller than the horizontal width H2 of the base portion 81. Here, the horizontal width H1 of the collimator fixing portion 87 means the maximum width of the collimator fixing portion 87 in the direction along the Y axis. That is, the width H1 is the maximum width in the direction (Y axis) orthogonal to the direction of the irradiation center axis C (X axis) and the vertical direction (Z axis). Further, the horizontal width H2 of the base portion 81 refers to the maximum width of the base portion 81 in the direction along the Y axis. That is, the width H2 is the length of the first side 81c of the base portion 81a. Further, the horizontal width H3 of the collimator 86 is smaller than the horizontal width H2 of the base portion 81. Here, the horizontal width H3 of the collimator 86 refers to the maximum width of the collimator 86 in the direction along the Y-axis.

The treatment table 80 is provided with a collimator 86 fixed to the base portion 81 and a top plate 83 that is movable relative to the base portion 81. Therefore, the posture of the patient S restrained on the top plate 83 can be held at a predetermined position with respect to the opening 86a of the collimator 86. Therefore, it becomes possible to irradiate the predetermined irradiation target in the patient S with the neutron beam N that has passed through the opening 86a of the collimator 86.

Since the treatment table 80 is provided with the drive unit 82, the treatment table 80 can be moved while maintaining the posture of the patient S with respect to the collimator 86. Therefore, the alignment between the irradiation target in the patient S and the irradiation center axis C of the collimator 86 can be performed in the preparation chambers 50A and 50B in advance without performing the alignment in the irradiation chamber 30A. In addition, by moving the treatment table 80 to the outside of the irradiation chamber 30A and performing the maintenance of the treatment table 80, it is possible to reduce the work time required for the maintenance of the treatment table 80 in a place with a high radiation dose.

In the treatment table 80, the maximum width H1 of the collimator fixing portion 87 is equal to or less than the maximum width H2 of the base portion 81. Therefore, the width necessary for the treatment table 80 to pass at the place where the treatment table 80 passes is the base. It is determined by the maximum width H2 of the part 81. Therefore, even if it is a case where incidental equipment is provided in the place where the treatment table 80 passes, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the incidental equipment in order to pass the treatment table 80. That is, the expansion of the width of the communication chambers 40A and 40B can be suppressed, and the increase in the size of incidental facilities such as the door D1 and the door D2 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the enlargement of the door D1 and the door D2 is suppressed, the safety at the time of opening and closing of the door D1 and the door D2 can be improved, and the door D1 and the door D2 are prevented from increasing the output of the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism can be simplified. In addition, the increase in the size of the door D1 and the door D2 is suppressed, and the drive mechanism of the door D1 and the door D2 is simplified, so that an increase in the construction cost of the neutron capture therapy system 100 as a whole can be suppressed.

In the treatment table 80, the collimator fixing portion 87 protrudes from the side surface 81 e of the base portion 81, so the collimator 86 fixed to the collimator fixing portion 87 is held at a position protruding from the side surface 81 e of the base portion 81. Therefore, when the collimator 86 is attached to the collimator attachment portion 31a of the cover 31, the base portion 81 does not interfere with the cover 31, so that the collimator 86 can be easily attached to the collimator attachment portion 31a.

The treatment table 80 can adjust the longitudinal direction of the top plate 83 to the moving direction of the treatment table 80 by rotating the top plate 83 around the rotation axes A1, A2, and A3 with respect to the base portion 81. For this reason, the size of the entrance and the like through which the treatment table 80 passes is determined not by the length of the top plate 83 in the longitudinal direction but by the size of the base portion 81. Therefore, the expansion of the size of the doorway through which the treatment table 80 passes can be further suppressed. That is, the width of the communication chambers 40A and 40B in which the treatment table 80 moves is defined by the first side 81c or the second side 81d of the base portion 81 of the treatment table 80.

[Treatment flow]
A flow of treatment using the neutron capture therapy system 100 will be described. First, a predetermined preparation for entering the neutron capture therapy system 100 is performed on the patient S. Subsequently, the patient S and the operator are guided to the preparation room 50 </ b> A, and the patient S is laid on the top plate 83. And an operator restrains the body of the patient S with respect to the top plate 83 using a restraint tool. Next, the patient S and the collimator 86 are aligned. More specifically, alignment between the irradiation target in the patient S and the irradiation center axis C of the collimator 86 is performed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the alignment between the patient S and the collimator 86. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, immediately after the patient S is restrained on the top plate 83, the irradiation target R and the irradiation center axis C are shifted in the YZ plane. There is. In this description, it is assumed that the irradiation target R is shifted from the irradiation center axis C by Yd in the Y-axis direction and by Zd in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the operator drives the lifting / lowering portion 84 a of the robot arm 84 to move the top plate 83 by the distance Zd in the Z-axis direction, and the robot arm The first arm 84b and the second arm 84c are driven to move the top plate 83 by a distance Yd in the Y-axis direction. By this movement, the irradiation target R can be aligned on the irradiation center axis C. If necessary, the robot arm 84 may be driven to adjust the distance along the X-axis direction from the collimator 86 to the irradiation target R. Furthermore, the irradiation direction of the neutron beam N on the patient S may be adjusted by rotating the robot arm 84 about the vertical rotation axes A1 to A3 as necessary. The state of work performed in the preparation room 50A is monitored by an administrator who has entered the adjacent management room 70.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the alignment between the patient S and the collimator 86 is completed, the treatment table 80 is moved to the irradiation room 30A. At this time, the manager of the management room 70 may determine whether or not the irradiation room 30A can be entered. For example, the operator reports to the administrator that the work in the preparation room 50A has been completed. When the manager who has obtained the report determines that it is possible to enter the irradiation room 30A, the manager opens the door D2 that separates the preparation room 50A and the communication room 40A. Then, the operator operates the drive unit 82 of the treatment table 80 to move the treatment table 80 to the communication room 40A. At this time, the worker follows the treatment table 80 and moves to the communication room 40A together with the treatment table 80.

When the worker and the treatment table 80 enter the communication room 40A, the manager closes the door D2. After closing, the manager opens the door D1 separating the communication room 40A and the irradiation room 30A. The order of opening and closing the doors D1 and D2 is not limited to this order. For example, the door D1 and the door D2 may be opened simultaneously. The operator operates the drive unit 82 of the treatment table 80 to move the treatment table 80 into the irradiation chamber 30A, and the operator himself moves into the irradiation chamber 30A. The work performed in the irradiation chamber 30A is mainly a work for attaching the collimator 86 to the collimator mounting portion 31a provided in the cover 31 (see FIG. 6E). When the attachment of the collimator 86 is completed, the operator moves to the communication room 40A and closes the door D1 using a switch or the like provided in the communication room 40A. By this closure, it is reported to the management room that the worker has retreated from the irradiation room 30A.

After the manager of the management room 70 visually confirms that the worker has evacuated to the preparation room 50A, the manager operates the control device 71 to start irradiation with the neutron beam N. The irradiation time is about 1 hour as an example. The state of the patient S during irradiation is monitored using the monitor 73 of the management room 70 for the image of the camera 32 provided in the room of the irradiation room 30A. In addition, when the administrator recognizes an abnormality in the patient S being treated, the administrator determines to stop irradiation.

When the irradiation time previously input to the control device 71 has elapsed, the control device 71 automatically stops the irradiation of the neutron beam N. Then, the operator enters the room of the irradiation room 30A and moves the treatment table 80 to the preparation room 50A. In the room of the preparation room 50A, the fixation of the patient S by the restraining tool is released, and the patient S is guided to the outside of the preparation room 50A. Thus, the neutron capture therapy using the neutron capture therapy system 100 is completed.

The neutron capture therapy system 100 can selectively irradiate each of the plurality of irradiation chambers 30A and 30B with the neutron beam N. Moreover, according to the neutron capture therapy system 100, since the preparation work for irradiating the patient S with the neutron beam N is performed in the respective preparation rooms 50A and 50B, the time for the preparation work in the irradiation rooms 30A and 30B is performed. Shortened. Therefore, since the ratio of the irradiation time of the neutron beam N in the time when the patient S is arranged in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B is increased, the utilization efficiency of the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be increased. Furthermore, neutron capture therapy has a longer irradiation time than radiotherapy such as X-ray therapy or proton beam therapy. For this reason, in the neutron capture therapy system 100, for example, in parallel with the treatment in one irradiation chamber 30 </ b> A, the efficiency improvement by performing the preparatory work in the other irradiation chamber 30 </ b> B or the preparation chamber 50 </ b> B is the operating efficiency of the entire system. Contribute greatly to improvement. And according to the neutron capture therapy system 100, since the control for irradiating the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B with the neutron beam N is performed in the one management chamber 70, the adjustment of the neutron beam occupation is made efficient, and the accelerator 11 Can improve the efficiency of use. Therefore, according to the neutron capture therapy system 100, the utilization efficiency of the irradiation chambers 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B can be increased and the utilization efficiency of the accelerator 11 can be increased, so that the operation efficiency of the entire system can be increased.

The neutron capture therapy system 100 includes windows 72A and 72B through which the inside of the management room 70 to the preparation rooms 50A and 50B can be observed. According to this configuration, since the inside of each of the preparation rooms 50A and 50B can be observed from the management room 70, the entrance and exit of the patient S with respect to each of the preparation rooms 50A and 50B and the preparation work in the rooms of the preparation rooms 50A and 50B are performed. The degree of progress can be grasped. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the neutron capture therapy system 100 can be further increased.

The neutron capture therapy system 100 further includes a camera 32 for observing the inside of the irradiation rooms 30A and 30B from the management room 70. According to this configuration, since the inside of each irradiation room 30A, 30B can be observed from the management room 70 through the camera 32, the state of the patient S in each irradiation room 30A, 30B can be grasped. Therefore, the safety of the neutron capture therapy system 100 can be improved.

The neutron capture therapy system 100 irradiates the treatment table 80 as a preparatory work for irradiating the patient S with the neutron beam N because the treatment table 80 can move between the inside and the outside of the irradiation rooms 30A and 30B. It can be carried out outside the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B after being moved outside the chambers 30A and 30B. Therefore, part of the preparation work in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be performed outside the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B, so that the time required for the preparation work in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be reduced.

The neutron capture therapy system 100 generates a neutron by irradiating the target T with the charged particle beam P generated by the accelerator 11. According to such a neutron beam generator 10, the neutron capture therapy system 100 can be reduced in size.

In the neutron capture therapy system of the present invention, the number of preparation rooms and irradiation rooms is not limited to two. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a neutron capture therapy system 101 according to a modification. As shown in FIG. 7, the neutron capture therapy system 101 may include three irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C and three preparation chambers 50A, 50B, and 50C. In this case, the neutron beam generation unit 10 includes three neutron beam output units 12A, 12B, and 12C corresponding to the irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C, respectively. The beam transport path 13 includes a second transport unit 16A that transports the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam output unit 12A, a third transport unit 16B that transports the charged particle beam P to the neutron beam output unit 12B, and the charged particle beam P And a fourth transport part 16C for transporting the gas to the neutron beam output part 12C. Furthermore, the management room 70 is arranged adjacent to all the preparation rooms 50A, 50B, 50C. Further, a window 72A is provided between the management room 70 and the preparation room 50A, a window 72B is provided between the management room 70 and the preparation room 50B, and between the management room 70 and the preparation room 50C. A window 72C is provided.

The neutron capture therapy system 101 according to the modified example can achieve the same effects as the neutron capture therapy system 100. That is, in the neutron capture therapy system 101, since the control for selectively irradiating the irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C with the neutron beam N is performed in the one management chamber 70, the utilization efficiency of the accelerator 11 is increased. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the entire system can be increased.

Second Embodiment
A neutron capture therapy system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of the neutron capture therapy system 102 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the neutron capture therapy system 102 relates to the first embodiment in that it does not include a preparation room and that the management room 70 is disposed adjacent to the two irradiation rooms 30A and 30B. Different from the neutron capture therapy system 100. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the neutron capture therapy system 100, the overlapping description will be omitted below.

In the neutron capture therapy system 100 according to the first embodiment, the restraint of the patient S on the treatment table 80 and the alignment of the collimator 86 and the patient S are performed in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B. These operations may be performed at a place different from the preparation chambers 50A and 50B provided in parallel with the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B. In the neutron capture therapy system 102 according to the second embodiment, the treatment table 80 is carried out from the room of the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B surrounded by the shielding wall W to the outside of the room not surrounded by the shielding wall W, and then to a predetermined place. Move. Then, preparatory work such as restraint of the patient S on the treatment table 80 and alignment between the collimator 86 and the patient S is performed at a predetermined place. Therefore, the neutron capture therapy system 102 can be configured not to include the preparation rooms 50A and 50B.

In the neutron capture therapy system 102, since the control for irradiating the irradiation chamber 30A or the irradiation chamber 30B with the neutron beam N is performed in the one management chamber 70, the adjustment of the occupation of the neutron beam N is made efficient and the accelerator 11 Use efficiency can be increased. Therefore, according to the neutron capture therapy system 102, since the utilization efficiency of the accelerator 11 increases, the operating efficiency of the entire system can be increased.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a neutron capture therapy system 103 according to a modification. As shown in FIG. 9, the neutron capture therapy system 103 may include three irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C. In this case, the neutron beam generation unit 10 includes three neutron beam output units 12A, 12B, and 12C corresponding to the irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C, respectively. Furthermore, the management room 70 is disposed adjacent to all the irradiation rooms 30A, 30B, 30C.

The neutron capture therapy system 103 can achieve the same effects as the neutron capture therapy system 102. That is, in the neutron capture therapy system 103, since the control for selectively irradiating the irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C with the neutron beam N is performed in the one management chamber 70, the utilization efficiency of the accelerator 11 is increased. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the entire system can be increased.

<Third Embodiment>
A neutron capture therapy system according to a third embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the neutron capture therapy system 104 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the neutron capture therapy system 104. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the neutron capture therapy system 104, the collimator 86 is not attached to the treatment table 80, the collimator 86 is provided in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B, and the dummy collimator 51 is provided. It is different from the neutron capture therapy system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it is provided in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B. In addition to the above differences, the configuration different from the neutron capture therapy system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

The irradiation chambers 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B have a collimator 86 attached to the collimator attachment portion 31 a of the cover 31. In addition, the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B include a reference portion (first position defining portion) 33 for positioning the treatment table 80 at a predetermined position in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B. By combining the reference portion 33 and a mark provided at a predetermined location on the treatment table 80, the treatment table 80 can be always arranged at the same position. That is, the position of the treatment table 80 with respect to the collimator 86 can be made constant every time the neutron beam N is irradiated.

Preparation rooms 50A and 50B have dummy collimators (markers) 51. The dummy collimator 51 is a mark for positioning the patient S. The dummy collimator 51 has an opening having substantially the same shape as the opening 86a of the collimator 86 in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B. Moreover, the preparation rooms 50A and 50B have a reference part (second position defining part) 52 for positioning the treatment table 80 at a predetermined position in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B. By combining the reference portion 52 and a mark provided at a predetermined location on the treatment table 80, the treatment table 80 can be always arranged at the same position. The dummy collimator 51 may not be a three-dimensional object simulating the shape of the collimator 86, but may be a figure representing the shape of the collimator 86 in plan view. For example, it may be a projection image of the collimator 86 projected on the screen. It may be an image of the collimator 86 displayed on the monitor. The dummy collimator 51 may be a mark drawn on the wall surface of the preparation chamber 50A.

Here, the relationship between the collimator 86 and the reference unit 33 in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B and the relationship between the dummy collimator 51 and the reference unit 52 in the preparation chambers 50A and 50B will be described. The positional relationship of the reference unit 52 with respect to the dummy collimator 51 is the same as the positional relationship of the reference unit 33 with respect to the collimator 86. That is, in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B of the neutron capture therapy system 104, the positional relationship between the collimator 86 and the treatment table 80 in the irradiation rooms 30A and 30B can be simulated. For this reason, performing the alignment of the patient S with respect to the dummy collimator 51 in the preparation chambers 50A and 50B is the same as performing the alignment of the patient S with respect to the collimator 86 in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B. Has meaning.

The alignment between the patient S and the collimator 86 in the neutron capture therapy system 104 will be further described. In the following description, the operations in the irradiation chamber 30A and the preparation chamber 50A will be described as an example.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the alignment between the patient S and the collimator 86. First, the collimator 86 is arranged on the treatment table 80 and the dummy collimator 51 is arranged at the dummy collimator mounting position in the preparation room 50A. The collimator 86 and the dummy collimator 51 are prepared for each patient S. Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the treatment table 80 is positioned using the reference portions 52a and 52b, and the treatment table 80 is fixed. Here, the reference | standard part 52a prescribes | regulates the position of the treatment table 80 in a X-axis direction. Moreover, the reference | standard part 52b prescribes | regulates the position of the treatment table 80 in a Y-axis direction.

Next, the patient S is restrained on the top board 83. Immediately after the restraint, the position of the irradiation target R of the patient S is shifted from the irradiation center axis C of the dummy collimator 51. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12 (c) and 12 (d), by operating the elevating part 84a of the treatment table 80 to move the top plate 83 in the direction along the Z axis, the irradiation center axis C and The position in the Z-axis direction with the irradiation target R of the patient S is matched. Subsequently, the robot arm 84 of the treatment table 80 is operated to move the top plate 83 in the direction along the XY plane, thereby aligning the positions of the irradiation center axis C and the irradiation target R of the patient S in the Y-axis direction. .

When the alignment in the preparation room 50A is completed, the treatment table 80 is moved to the irradiation room 30A. And the treatment table 80 is fixed after positioning using the reference | standard part 33a, 33b. Here, the reference | standard part 33a prescribes | regulates the position of the treatment table 80 in a X-axis direction. Moreover, the reference | standard part 33b prescribes | regulates the position of the treatment table 80 in a Y-axis direction. By positioning using the reference parts 33a and 33b, the positional relationship between the dummy collimator 51 adjusted in the preparation room 50A and the patient S is reproduced in the irradiation room 30A. That is, the state in which the irradiation target R of the patient S is aligned with the position of the irradiation center axis C of the collimator 86 is reproduced. As described above, according to the neutron capture therapy system 104, the irradiation target R of the patient S is set to the position of the irradiation center axis C of the collimator 86 only by performing the positioning operation using the reference unit 33 in the irradiation chamber 30A. It can be in an aligned state. Therefore, the working time in the irradiation chamber 30A can be shortened.

According to the neutron capture therapy system 104, the same effect as the neutron capture therapy system 100 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, since the neutron capture therapy system 104 can perform a part of the work in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B in the preparation chambers 50A and 50B in advance, the utilization efficiency of the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be improved. Further, in the neutron capture therapy system 104, since the control for selectively irradiating the irradiation chambers 30A, 30B, and 30C with the neutron beam N is performed in the one management chamber 70, the utilization efficiency of the accelerator 11 is increased. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the entire system can be increased.

According to the neutron capture therapy system 104, positioning of the patient S in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be simulated by positioning the patient S with respect to the dummy collimator 51 in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for the alignment operation of the patient S in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B.

According to the neutron capture therapy system 104, the patient S is positioned with respect to the dummy collimator 51 after the patient S is placed on the treatment table 80 positioned by the reference units 52a and 52b in the preparation rooms 50A and 50B. . Then, when the treatment table 80 on which the patient S is placed is moved to the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B and the position of the treatment table 80 is positioned by the reference portions 33a and 33b, the collimator 86 and the patient S are aligned. Become. Accordingly, since the alignment operation between the collimator 86 and the patient S in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B can be performed in the preparation chambers 50A and 50B in a simulated manner, the time required for the alignment operation of the patient S in the irradiation chambers 30A and 30B is reduced. Further shortening is possible.

The neutron capture therapy system of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the numerical values such as the specific dimensions and distances of the components exemplified in the above embodiment are examples for facilitating the understanding of the description, and do not limit the present invention.

The treatment table 80 is a chair provided with a seat on which the patient S sits, a backrest erected with respect to the seat, and a head holding unit installed at the upper end of the backrest, instead of the top plate 83. There may be.

For example, the neutron capture therapy system does not use the neutron beam N generated by the accelerator 11 and the target T, but may use the neutron beam N directly emitted from the nuclear reactor. That is, the neutron beam generation unit 10 may be configured by a nuclear reactor. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a neutron capture therapy system 105 according to a modification. As shown in FIG. 13, in the neutron capture therapy system 105, the neutron beam generation unit 10 includes a nuclear reactor 91 instead of a configuration including an accelerator 11, a beam transport path 13, and neutron beam output units 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B. Yes. Neutron beam N can be emitted directly from the reactor 91. According to the neutron beam generator 10 having the nuclear reactor 91, it is possible to suppress power consumption required for operation of the neutron capture therapy system. Note that, according to the configuration in which the neutron beam N is generated using the accelerator 11 and the target T as in the first to third embodiments, the size can be reduced as compared with the neutron beam generator 10 having the nuclear reactor 91. it can.

Further, the neutron beam generation unit 10 may use a radioisotope that emits neutron beams or a small fusion reactor as a neutron source.

According to the neutron capture therapy system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the preparation time in the irradiation chamber can be shortened.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Neutron beam generation part, 11 ... Accelerator, 12A, 12B, 12C ... Neutron beam output part, 13 ... Beam transport path, 14 ... First transport part, 15 ... Beam direction changer, 16A ... Second transport part, 16B ... 3rd transport part, 16C ... 4th transport part, 17 ... Beam adjustment part, 18 ... Charged particle beam scanning part, 30A, 30B, 30C ... Irradiation chamber, 31 ... Cover (wall body), 32 ... Camera, 33 ... Reference part (first position defining part), 40A, 40B ... communication room, 50A, 50B, 50C ... preparation room, 51 ... dummy collimator (mark), 52 ... reference part (second position defining part), 70 ... management room 71 ... Control device, 72A, 72B, 72C ... Window, 73 ... Monitor, 80 ... Treatment table, 81 ... Base part, 82 ... Drive part, 83 ... Top plate, 84 ... Robot arm, 86 ... Collimator, 87 ... Collimator Fixed part, 91 ... nuclear reactor, 00, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 ... neutron capture therapy system, A1, A2, A3 ... rotation axis, C ... irradiation center axis, D1, D2 ... door, N ... neutron beam, P ... charged particle beam, R ... irradiation target, S ... patient, T ... target, W ... shielding wall, W1, W2, W3 ... wall.

Claims (4)

1. A neutron capture therapy system that irradiates an irradiated object with a neutron beam,
   The irradiation object can be arranged indoors to irradiate the irradiated object with the neutron beam, and an irradiation chamber covered with a shielding wall for blocking radiation of the neutron beam from the room to the outside,
   A neutron beam generator capable of irradiating the neutron beam into the irradiation chamber;
   A mounting table on which the irradiated object is mounted and configured to be movable between the inside and the outside of the irradiation chamber;
   A neutron capture therapy system comprising:
2. It further comprises a preparation room arranged in parallel with the irradiation room,
   The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 1, wherein a mark for alignment of the irradiated object is provided in the preparation room.
3. In the chamber of the irradiation chamber, a collimator for defining the irradiation range of the neutron beam and a first position defining unit for defining the position of the mounting table in the chamber of the irradiation chamber are provided,
   In the room of the preparation room, a second position defining part for defining the position of the mounting table in the room of the preparation room is further provided,
   The neutron capture therapy system according to claim 2, wherein the positional relationship between the mark and the second position defining unit is the same as the positional relationship between the collimator and the first position defining unit.
4. The mounting table includes a base part and a top plate that is disposed on the base part and supports the irradiated body, and the top board is rotatable about a vertical axis with respect to the base part. Item 4. The neutron capture therapy system according to any one of Items 1 to 3.

Images