Radioactive pellet injection apparatus

• US 20060004243A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shimizutech Incorporation
• Original Assignee: Shimizutech Incorporation
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto, Shimizu, Yasushi, Shimizu, Yasuhiro, Asada, Yoshitsugu, Shimizu, Yasuto, Sawada, Yoshiki
• Application Number:
  US11/173,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004243A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 51/1282 Devices used in vivo and carrying the radioactive therapeutic or diagnostic agent, therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic kits, stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents

Abstract

A radioactive pellet injection apparatus includes a console (30) to be disposed beside a bed on which a patient is to be laid. The console (30) and the bed have brackets. An arm (39) is detachably coupled to the bracket of either one of the console (30) and the bed. The arm (39) is movable in either the horizontal or the vertical direction. A rotary driving unit (46) is mounted at a distal end of the arm (39) in such a manner that the tilt angle thereof can be adjusted about a horizontal axis (44) in response to a control signal. The rotary driving unit (46) carries a protective container (48) enclosing a capsule (60) with minute, spherical radioactive pellets enclosed therein, and a radiation detector (49) facing a catheter connecting section (50) extending from the capsule (60). A pump unit (32a) for supplying a carrier fluid for carrying radioactive pellets to the capsule (60) through a tube (51), a control circuit (32b) supplying a control signal to the rotary driving unit (46), and a detector circuit (32c) for processing a detection signal from the radiation detector (49) are disposed in the console (30).

Claims

1. A radioactive pellet injection apparatus comprising:

a capsule made of transparent polymeric material, including a cylindrical capsule main body having a cavity in a center portion thereof, and a pair of stoppers attached to respective ones of opposing ends of said capsule main body, each of said stoppers having a through-hole at a center thereof extending into said cavity for guiding a hypodermic needle into said cavity, said cavity containing minute, spherical radioactive pellets therein;

a protective container made of transparent polymeric material for enclosing said capsule, having one end thereof closed by a stopper having a carrier fluid supply tube connecting section on which one of said hypodermic needles is mounted to extend into said capsule cavity, and having the other end thereof closed by a stopper having a catheter connecting section on which the other of said hypodermic needles is mounted to extend into said cavity;

a radiation detector disposed to face a portion of said catheter connecting section outside said protective container;

a rotary driving unit for supporting said protective container and said radiation detector, a tilt angle of said rotary driving unit being variable about a horizontal axis in response to a control signal;

a console including a pump unit for supplying a radioactive pellet carrier fluid to a tube connected to said carrier fluid supply tube connecting section, a detector circuit for processing a detection signal from said radiation detector, and a control circuit providing the control signal to said rotary driving unit;

and a supporting arrangement having a coupling unit at a proximal end thereof, said coupling unit being capable of being detachably coupled to either of said console and a treatment bed on which a patient is to be laid, said rotary driving unit being disposed at a distal end of said supporting arrangement.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rotary driving unit is disposed at said distal end of said supporting arrangement in such a manner that said rotary driving unit can rotate about two axes perpendicular to a rotation axis of the rotary driving unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said supporting arrangement includes an arm rotatable about vertical and horizontal axes relative to said coupling unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said rotary driving unit is mounted to a distal end of said arm in such a manner that said rotary driving unit can rotate about two axes extending perpendicular to a rotation axis thereof.