Medicine reactor “MARS” for neutron-capture therapy

The Objective

Creation of the safe and cheep source of neutrons for radiation therapy of malignant neoplasms and installed directly in clinic. The Reactor Facility MARS is intended for the oncology patients treatment by the neutron-collision, neutron- capture and combined therapy. Capacity of the facility is up to 500 men in a year.

The Specific Features of the Project

• Economical appeal.
• Safety.
• Ecology.
• No complicate equipment
• Manufacturing at the factory
• Outlet beam of the Facility has the parameters both for the neutron and neutron-capture therapy.
• Parameters of the Facility are set to reach the maximal effective therapy.

Field of application

• The Facility is intended for installation and operation in the oncology clinic.
• The Facility is aimed for treatment of malignant neoplasms of the brain, soft tissues, thyroid gland and skin.

Advantages of the Project

• The Facility is the pioneer work designed specially for installation in clinic.
• The approved engineering and technology solutions prevent risk in manufacturing of the Facility.
• The parameters of the Facility are the best nowadays.
• The price of the Facility is obtainable for a customer.

Ways of Commercializing

• Selling of the Facility operation time.
• Leasing of the Facility for 3-7 years.
• Direct selling.

Fig. 1. Overview of the Reactor Facility MARS

The main characteristics of the Facility MARS

1. Installation of the Facility directly in the oncology clinic.

2. The outlet beam of the Facility may be used for therapy of the different malignant neoplasms.

3. The Facility operates for the treatment period only.

4. Extra-small power (not more than 10 kW)

5. Designed lifetime in the start-stop mode without refueling is not less than 20 years.

6. Inherent safety due to the negative feedback, no boiling and high pressure in the circuits.

7. Small overall size of the Facility (2.5 2.5 3.0 m).

8. Usability.

9. The approved technology and conventional fuel are used.

10. Assembling at the plant-manufacturer.

Fig.2 Design of the Reactor Facility MARS

Name	Value
Power	10 kW
Charge of UО2	37 kg
Enrichment of 235U	17%
Number of FA	400
3 circuit cooling system
Primary circuit:
coolant temperature at the core inlet	240 С
the primary circuit pressure	0.11 МPа
heating in the core	2.50 С
Parameters of the neutron beam for neutron-capture therapy:
density of the neutron flux at the collimator outlet	2*109 n/сm2/s
current-to-neutron flux density ratio	0.77
dose of fast neutrons-to-epithermal neutrons flux density ratio	<2*10-13 Gy*сm2
gamma dose of neutrons-to-epithermal neutrons flux density ratio	<2*10-13 Gy*сm2