Development of real-time thermal neutron monitor for boron neutron capture therapy

A wide range thermal neutron detector was developed based on the Scintillator with Optical Fiber (SOF) detector which has been previously used for thermal neutron monitoring during boron neutron capture therapy irradiation. With this new detector system we intended to address the issues of real-time thermal neutron flux measurement and the simultaneous measurement of a wide range of thermal neutron flux in a BNCT irradiation field which were difficult to implement with the gold wire activation method. Clinical trials using paired SOF to measure thermal neutron flux during therapy confirmed that paired SOF detectors were effective as a real-time thermal neutron flux monitor. (author)