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Description
This work presents a first approach to a feasibility study on the application of accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Synovectomy (BNCS) as a therapeutic approach for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). BNCS integrates nuclear physics and biomedical engineering to achieve targeted ablation of inflamed synovial tissue using high-linear energy transfer particles generated through neutron capture by boron-10. The study focuses on the simulation and optimization of a Beam Shaping Assembly device (BSA) along with the modification of a voxel phantom geometry of the knee for in vivo studies. Simulations were conducted using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP6) to evaluate neutron flux and energy spectra and the deposited energy in the affected synovial fluid and in the bone and healthy tissue. The optimized configuration of the BSA was found using BeF2 as the moderator, MgF2 as the reflector and LiF as thermal neutron shielding, yielding an epithermal spectrum suitable for BNCS.
