A hospital-based proton linac for neutron therapy and radioisotope production

Conference · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6348528

Lennox, A J

Fermilab's Alvarez proton linac has been used routinely for neutron therapy since 1976. The Neutron Therapy Facility (NTF) operates in a mode parasitic to the laboratory's high energy physics program, which uses the linac as an injector for a synchrotron. Parasitic operation is possible because the linac delivers /approximately/1.2 /times/ 10/sup 13/ protons per pulse at a 15 Hz rate, while the high energy physics program requires beam at a rate not greater than 0.5 Hz. Protons not needed for physics experiments strike a beryllium target to produce neutrons for neutron therapy. Encouraging clinical results from NTF have led to a study of the issues involved in providing hospitals with a neutron beam of the type available at Fermilab. This paper describes the issues addressed by that study. 12 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03000
• OSTI ID: 6348528
• Report Number(s): FNAL/C-88/178; CONF-881049-66; ON: DE89007479
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ACCELERATORS
BEAMS
DESIGN
ISOTOPES
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
MEDICINE
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON THERAPY
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEON BEAMS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PRODUCTION
PROTON BEAMS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RF SYSTEMS
THERAPY