The feasibility study of in-vivo analysis of bone calcium by activation of hand with 5 Ci 238Pu-Be

An in-vivo partial-body neutron activation technique (IVNAA) was used for evaluaton of the human bone. It was decided to use the hand for studies of osteroporosis. The 48Ca(n,γ)49Ca reaction was employed (f=0.185%, I=900mb) and 5 Ci 238Pu-Be isotopic neutron source. A sufficient precision was obtained by four 10 min irradiations of the hand phantom tubes, each followed by a 1000 sec counting period. A 5''x5'' NaI (Tl) well-type detector and a 1024 channel multichannel analyser were used for counting gamma rays. The neutron source, covered with 1 cm paraffin wax, is holding during the irradiation in hand