Abstract
It is the objective of the present invention to provide a degrader that has excellent degrading capabilities with, for the same energy loss in the degrader, a lower emittance increase as currently used materials, without generating a strong neutron flux and without having severe toxic characteristics. This objective is achieved according to the present invention by a degrader (2) for use in the field of the application of a particle beam (6), comprising degrading active material wherein the degrading active material comprises Boron Carbide B4C. This degrader has an amount of multiple scattering that is lower than in graphite for the same energy loss. The use of B4C increases the transmission by at typically 35% for the beam degradation to low energies, which is a significant and useful amount of beam intensity increase in particle therapy. The B4C-material does not become more radio-active than graphite, so that there will be no additional problems at service activities. Further, B4C as degrading active material does not have severe toxic properties.
| Original language | English |
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| Patent number | WO2017089158 |
| Priority date | 27/11/2015 |
| Filing date | 14/11/2016 |
| Publication status | Published - 1-Jun-2017 |