Characterization of a CdZnTe detector prototype for Boron imaging by SPECT: simulations and measurements in a neutron field

BNCT treatment effectiveness strongly depends on the radiation dose deposited locally by the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction in the tumour; however, the local and real time measurement of this quantity during the neutron irradiation is a big challenge, not yet solved by the BNCT researchers’ community. The deposited dose evaluation needs a correct knowledge of the 10B concentration spatial distribution and the thermal neutron flux in the tissue at the irradiation time. In order to solve this problem it is possible to exploit the 478 keV dis-excitation photons of the 7Li and as such avoid the difficulty of measuring the Boron concentration and the neutron flux as separated quantities. Therefore our project aims to develop a Single Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) system based on a CdZnTe (CZT) semiconductor detector to be installed at a new BNCT clinical facility.