A feasibility study of the in vivo prompt gamma activation analysis using a mobile nuclear reactor.

A facility for in vivo prompt gamma activation analysis using moderated neutron beams from a 0.1 W mobile nuclear reactor is described. The low-power nuclear reactor provides total neutron flux of 3.3 X 10(4)n cm-2 s-1 on the surface of a vertical beam tube to which a liquid phantom is positioned. The capability of such a partial-body irradiation facility is demonstrated by measuring trace amounts of toxic cadmium in kidney. The detection limit of Cd in kidney for a skin dose of 1.66 mSv (166 mrem) is 1.34 mg under 500 s irradiation. This facility therefore combines the advantages of mobility with high sensitivity of detection of a toxic element under low neutron and gamma doses.