TY - JOUR
T1 - Set-up and calibration of a method to measure 10B concentration in biological samples by neutron autoradiography
AU - Gadan, M. A.
AU - Bortolussi, S.
AU - Postuma, I.
AU - Ballarini, F.
AU - Bruschi, P.
AU - Protti, N.
AU - Santoro, D.
AU - Stella, S.
AU - Cansolino, L.
AU - Clerici, A.
AU - Ferrari, C.
AU - Zonta, A.
AU - Zonta, C.
AU - Altieri, S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially supported by INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics), Italy , and by a CARIPLO funding program . The authors would like to acknowledge Drs. Giselle Saint Martin and Agustina M. Portu from CNEA (National Commission for Atomic Energy, Argentina) for their valuable help offered during the described work.
PY - 2012/3/1
Y1 - 2012/3/1
N2 - A selective uptake of boron in the tumor is the base of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, which can destroy the tumor substantially sparing the normal tissue. In order to deliver a lethal dose to the tumor, keeping the dose absorbed by normal tissues below the tolerance level, it is mandatory to know the 10B concentration present in each kind of tissue at the moment of irradiation. This work presents the calibration procedure adopted for a boron concentration measurement method based on neutron autoradiography, where biological samples are deposited on sensitive films and irradiated in the thermal column of the TRIGA reactor (University of Pavia). The latent tracks produced in the film by the charged particles coming from the neutron capture in 10B are made visible by a proper etching, allowing the measurement of the track density. A calibration procedure with standard samples provides curves of track density as a function of boron concentration, to be used in the measurement of biological samples. In this paper, the bulk etch rate parameter and the calibration curves obtained for both liquid samples and biological tissues with known boron concentration are presented. A bulk etch rate value of (1.64 ± 0.02) μm/h and a linear dependence with etching time were found. The plots representing the track density versus the boron concentration in a range between 5 and 50 μg/g (ppm) are linear, with an angular coefficient of (1.614 ± 0.169)·10 -3 tracks/(μm 2 ppm) for liquids and (1.598 ± 0.097)·10 -2 tracks/(μm 2 ppm) for tissues.
AB - A selective uptake of boron in the tumor is the base of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, which can destroy the tumor substantially sparing the normal tissue. In order to deliver a lethal dose to the tumor, keeping the dose absorbed by normal tissues below the tolerance level, it is mandatory to know the 10B concentration present in each kind of tissue at the moment of irradiation. This work presents the calibration procedure adopted for a boron concentration measurement method based on neutron autoradiography, where biological samples are deposited on sensitive films and irradiated in the thermal column of the TRIGA reactor (University of Pavia). The latent tracks produced in the film by the charged particles coming from the neutron capture in 10B are made visible by a proper etching, allowing the measurement of the track density. A calibration procedure with standard samples provides curves of track density as a function of boron concentration, to be used in the measurement of biological samples. In this paper, the bulk etch rate parameter and the calibration curves obtained for both liquid samples and biological tissues with known boron concentration are presented. A bulk etch rate value of (1.64 ± 0.02) μm/h and a linear dependence with etching time were found. The plots representing the track density versus the boron concentration in a range between 5 and 50 μg/g (ppm) are linear, with an angular coefficient of (1.614 ± 0.169)·10 -3 tracks/(μm 2 ppm) for liquids and (1.598 ± 0.097)·10 -2 tracks/(μm 2 ppm) for tissues.
KW - Boron concentration measurements
KW - Boron neutron capture therapy
KW - CR-39
KW - Neutron autoradiography
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nimb.2011.11.043
DO - 10.1016/j.nimb.2011.11.043
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84855176610
SN - 0168-583X
VL - 274
SP - 51
EP - 56
JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
ER -