Neutron spectrometry in a PET cyclotron with a Bonner sphere system

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique normally used for diagnostic purposes to determine the location and concentration of physiologically active compounds in a human body. An unshielded cyclotron is used for PET at the Clinica Universitaria de Navarra to produce short-lived positron emitting radionuclides ((15)O, (13)N, (11)C and (18)F) by bombarding appropriate target material with proton or deuteron beams with energies up to 18 and 9 MeV, respectively. Subsequent nuclear reactions may generate undesirable neutrons that should be evaluated and controlled. In this study, the neutron measurements performed with an active and a passive Bonner sphere systems at different locations outside and inside the cyclotron vault during operation have been presented. The neutron spectrum at each location was determined with an unfolding code developed by the authors.