In-vivo neutron activation analysis for medical applications

This paper describes the design of the system and the uses of in-vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) for the determination of total body calcium (TBCa) and total body nitrogen (TBN) in humans. TBCa and TBN assay are useful in a variety of clinical situations dealing with the diagnosis and management of patients with osteopenia, nutritional deficiency, renal dysfunction, transplantation, cancer, thyroid dysfunction and many others. The system can be put together with readily available nuclear components and within a reasonable cost. This paper examines the present status of IVNAA for medical applications in a hospital setting.