Study of gamma-ray emission by proton beam interaction with injected Boron atoms for future medical imaging applications (vol 12, C03059, 2017)

In this work an experimental and theoretical study of gamma-prompt emission has beencarried out with the main aim being to understand to what extent this approach can be used during atreatment based on proton-boron fusion therapy. An experimental campaign, carried out with a highpurity Germanium detector, has been performed to evaluate the gamma emission from two pure11B and10B targets. Furthermore, a set of analytical simulations, using the Talys nuclear reactioncode has been performed and the calculated spectra compared with the experimental results. Thesecomparisons allowed us to successfully validate Talys which was then used to estimate the gammaemission when a realistic Boron concentration was considered. Both simulations and experimentalresults suggest that the gamma emission is low at certain proton energies, thus in order to improvethe imaging capabilities, while still maintaining the Boron therapeutic role, we propose the additionof natural Copper bound by a dipyrromethene, BodiPy, to boron atoms. Analytical simulations withTalys suggest that the characteristic spectrum of the copper prompt gamma-rays has several peaksin the energetic regions where the background is negligible