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Research Reactor Fir 1 Current utilization and long term strategy of the Finnish TRIGA research reactor FiR 1 Iiro Auterinen Seppo Salmenhaara VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland 4th WORLD TRIGA USERS CONFERENCE LYON, 07.9.-10.9.2008 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Research reactor (FiR 1, Triga Mark II, 250 kW) • Epithermal neutron irradiation facility for Neutron Capture Therapy • epithermal neutron flux 1.1 109 /cm2s is created by the FLUENTAL™ neutron moderator • In core irradiations for isotope production, activation analysis and irradiation testing (thermal 1013 n/cm2/s, fast 1013 n/cm2/s) • Main isotopes for tracer studies produced in the reactor are 82Br, 24Na and 140La • Operation license is currently valid till end of 2011. Continuation is foreseen at least till 2016. • Waste management of FiR 1 • Spent fuel either (1) returned to the USA (option open until 2016) or (2) disposed in the Olkiluoto spent fuel repository for NPPs • The decommissioning wastes disposed in the repository for LILW at the Loviísa NPP • Nuclear Waste Management Fund (5,3 M€) 2 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND • In the 70’s and 80’s the reactor was operated daily for activation analysis. • Uranium prospecting using delayed neutrons with an automated system. • In the 80´s till mid 90’s samarium-153 was produced for bone cancer treatment and dysprosium-165 for treatment of arthritis. Yearly production of heat by FiR 1 450 400 350 300 250 200 MWh / year 150 100 50 0 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 year 3 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND A functional BNCT facility 4 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND The licensed organization for BNCT treatments Boneca Corporation: Radiotherapy licence by Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority- STUK Licence for private health care services Licences for clinical research Helsinki University Central Hospital: Ethical approvals of the clinical trials VTT: FiR 1 operating licence - Including description of the use for BNCT treatment 5 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Clinical trial of glioma patients using BPA-F started in May 1999 Patient in the irradiation room immobilized on the treatment coach by head and body vacuum immobilizers 6 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Clinical trials on BNCT at FiR 1 • The safety and efficacy of BNCT is studied for several different cancers: • Primary glioblastoma, a highly malignant brain tumour (since 1999) • Recurrent glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma (since 2001) • Recurrent inoperable head and neck carcinoma (since 2003) • For information on the clinical activities visit: • www.clinicaltrials.gov (search for BNCT) • www.boneca.fi. Well over 100 patients have been treated sofar at FiR 1 Number of BNCT patient irradiation yearly at FiR 1 7 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND PROOF OF CONCEPT Primary Glioblastoma Before BNCT 1 month post BNCT 3 months after BNCT 8 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND 1 week prior to BNCT 1 week prior to BNCT FIRST PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR HEAD AND NECK TUMOURS A 2 weeksweeks after after BNCT BNCT B Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18 2 months after BNCT F-labeled boronophenylalanine (BPA) as 2 months the tracer. after BNCT Left: A PET image taken prior to BNCT. Right: An image taken 7 weeks after single- C fraction BNCT showing a marked decrease in tumour [18F]BPA uptake. Mauri Kouri et al, Undifferentiated sinonasal carcinoma may respond to single-fraction boron neutron capture therapy, Radiotherapy and Oncology 72 (2004) 83–85 MRI showing the response of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma to single- fraction BNCT 9 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 69, No. 2, pp. 475–482, 2007 10 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Strong evidence of the efficacy of BNCT in H&N tumours 11 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Strong evidence of the efficacy of BNCT in H&N tumours • 10 / 12 patients showed tumour response to BNCT. • In 7 / 12 patients the tumour response was 100%. • All patients had been treated before with all traditional means (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery etc.) without success. 12 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Status of BNCT treatments at FiR 1 • Well over 100 patients treated now since May 1999. • At least 1 patient irradiation / week, often 2 (Tuesday and Thursday) • Patients are referred to BNCT-treatments from several hospitals, also outside research protocols. • The hospitals pay for the treatment. • The FiR 1 reactor has proven to be a reliable neutron source for the BNCT treatments; no patient irradiations have been cancelled because of a failure of the reactor. 13 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION • The main isotope produced is Br-82 in the form of either KBr or ethylene bromide • Other typical isotopes are Na-24, Ar-41, La-140 • The isotopes are used mainly in tracer studies in industry (Indmeas Inc., Finland) • Typical activity of one irradiated Br-sample is 20 - 80 GBq • Total activity produced in one year is over 3 TBq • The reactor operating time needed for the isotope production is one or two days per week 14 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND 15 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING • Helsinki University of Technology • Tfy-56.142 Exercises in nuclear and reactor physics • Measuring neutron flux in the core • Effect of a small perturbation to the reactivity • Calibration of control rod • Measuring the fast temperature coefficient of the reactivity • Tfy-56.127 Laboratory exercises in nuclear physics • Neutron diffusion in water using the epithermal BNCT beam • Lappeenranta Technical University • En2320400 Nuclear reactor physics • Calibration of control rod using rod drop and period measurements • Measuring neutron flux in the core 16 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING • Uppsala University • One day of exercises at FiR 1 • For university students and employees of the nuclear power facilities • KTH (Stockholm) Nuclear Energy Engineering Masters Program exercises 17 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND Spent fuel situation at the FiR 1 reactor • After the extension of the USDOE acceptance policy we can now operate the reactor until May 2016, if we want to use the US return policy for spent fuel • Still we have the possibility to use the domestic final disposal repository at Olkiluoto site. This facility is supposed to start its operation in 2020. 18 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND COST OF OPERATION • The basic cost for maintenance and operation of the reactor is about 400 000 € per year, including licensing administration. • The operational costs of the reactor are moderate as one operation shift includes only the reactor operator and the shift supervisor. • The aim is to cover a substantial part of the reactor costs with the income from the services. For example the income from the production of isotopes is about 20 % of the turnover. • Still financial support from VTT-basic funding or other government sources is required. 19 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND CONCLUSIONS • FiR 1 has an important international role in the development of boron neutron capture therapy for cancer. • It is one of the few facilities in the world providing this kind of treatments. • The successes in the BNCT development have now created a demand for these treatments, although they are given on an experimental basis. • The BNCT facility has become a center of extensive academic research especially in medical physics. • Nuclear education and training continue to play also a role at FiR 1 in the form of university courses and training of nuclear industry personnel. • FiR 1 is one of the two sources in Scandinavia for short lived radioisotopes used in tracer studies in industry 20 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND CONCLUSIONS (cont.) • Accelerator based neutron sources are developed for BNCT. • The prospect is that when BNCT will achieve a status of a fully accepted and efficient treatment modality for certain not too rare types of cancer these new devices will be deployed in the major hospitals all over the world. • Development of BNCT to an established treatment for several cancers requires FiR 1 as a demonstration and reference facility at least till year 2016 . 21 VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND SWOT-analysis for the future of the FiR 1 Strengths Weaknesses The reactor is in good condition and is for the moment The Finnish nuclear power utilities do not directly use the best facility in the world suited for BNCT the research reactor. treatments. The future of the reactor depends strongly on the Skilled personnel. developments in BNCT. Operational licence now valid till end of 2011 and can Lack of international collaboration especially in the be easily extended till 2016. field of BNCT. Enough fuel to operate 50 years more. Part of personnel retiring in the coming years. Funds exist for nuclear waste management and Operation and maintaining of the reactor are loss- decommissioning of the reactor. making requiring financial support from the VTT The efficacy of BNCT has been demonstrated in the infrastructure funds and/or elsewhere. treatment of head and neck tumours (published in 2007). Opportunities Threats Development of BNCT to an established treatment for The goals set for the contribution margin at VTT are several cancers requires FiR 1 as a demonstration not met in the next 2 to 3 years. and reference facility. Slow progress in receiving international recognition The likely closing of the BNCT activities by the and significantly increasing international European commission at Petten gives new collaboration in BNCT. possibilities for FiR 1. Risks involved in the financing and in the schedule of Increasing interest of venture capitalist in BNCT. the development of the accelerator based BNCT Development of linear accelerators to substitute concept.
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