Ding Shouxian continued, "So, for the past few decades, the main focus has been on civilian applications, such as in medical device manufacturing. Domestic and international medical companies are all paying attention to new cancer treatments..."
Currently, the most definite application of neutron generators in research is for cancer treatment, specifically a therapy called Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, abbreviated as "BNCT".
In the 1930s, Gordon-Latcher first proposed the concept of boron neutron capture therapy, envisioning the eradication of cancer cells through inducing nuclear reactions in tumor cells.
The principle of boron neutron capture therapy is quite simple: it involves injecting a patient with a boron carrier.
Upon entering the body, the boron carrier quickly accumulates in cancer cells through metabolism, while being scarcely distributed in normal cells. The boron carrier itself is non-toxic and harmless to humans but has no therapeutic effect on cancer.
