Carrier-free 103pd brachytherapy seeds

• US 20060052654A1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medi-Physics Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Medi-Physics Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Romanoff, Scott, Drobnik, Michael, Drobnik, Christopher, Bolenbaugh, Dave, Pahigianis, Irene, Dahl, Pamela S
• Granted Patent: US 7,988,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/3
• 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: A61N 2005/1024 Seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12625 Free carbon containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12875 Platinum group metal-base component

Abstract

A brachytherapy seed comprising (a) carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd isotope, (b) a substrate for the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd radioisotope, and (c) a casing for encapsulating the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A brachytherapy seed which comprises:

(a) a substrate having a surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium,

(b) carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd disposed on said surface of said substrate to provide a carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate; and

(c) a biocompatible casing for encapsulating the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate.

2. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium is metallic.

3. The brachytherapy seed of claim 2, wherein the metallic surface comprises nickel, copper, or a mixture thereof.

4. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a radiopaque metal.

5. The brachytherapy seed of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises a radiopaque metal core surrounded by a sheath of a radiotransparent metal.

6. The brachytherapy seed of claim 5, wherein the radiopaque metal core comprises silver, gold, platinum, iridium, palladium, thallium, copper, iron or lead or a mixture thereof.

7. The brachytherapy seed of claim 5, wherein the radiotransparent metal comprises aluminium.

8. The brachytherapy seed of claim 7, wherein the radiopaque core comprises silver.

9. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a radiotransparent core.

10. The brachytherapy seed of claim 9, wherein the radiotransparent core comprises graphite, a polymer, or a metal having a low atomic number.

11. The brachytherapy seed of claim 10, wherein the metal having a low atomic number is aluminium.

12. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible casing comprises stainless steel, titanium, a titanium alloy, tantalum, a nickel alloy, a copper alloy, or an aluminium alloy.

24. A method of treating a disease or condition responsive to brachytherapy, which comprises placement of one or more brachytherapy seeds of claim 1 at a target location within an individual, and allowing the seeds to remain at the target location for a sufficient time to deliver a therapeutically effective radiation dose.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the seeds are placed within the individual temporarily.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the seeds are placed within the individual permanently.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of:

head cancer, neck cancer, melanoma, brain cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, proliferative disease, arthritis, urethral stricture, and fibroid uterine tumor.

13. A substrate in a form suitable for use in a brachytherapy seed, which has a surface coating suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium and further comprises a radiopaque metal core chosen from silver, platinum, iridium, palladium, thallium, copper, iron or lead or a mixture thereof, surrounded by a sheath of a radiotransparent metal.

14. The substrate of claim 13, wherein the radiotransparent metal comprises aluminium.

15. The substrate of claim 13, wherein the radiopaque metal core comprises silver, the sheath comprises aluminium, and the surface coating comprises nickel, or copper, or a mixture thereof.

16. A substrate in a form suitable for use in a brachytherapy seed, which comprises a radiotransparent core with a surface coating, wherein the surface coating is suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium.

17. The substrate of claim 16, wherein the radiotransparent core comprises graphite, a polymer, or a metal having a low atomic number.

18. The substrate of claim 16, wherein the surface coating is metallic.

19. The substrate of claim 18, wherein the metallic surface coating comprises nickel, or copper, or a mixture thereof.

20. The substrate of claim 16, wherein the metal having a low atomic number is aluminium

21. A method of preparing a carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate which comprises:

immersing a substrate having a surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium into an electroless bath comprising carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd for a sufficient time to deposit a pre-selected amount of carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd onto the surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium of said substrate.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the electroless bath further comprises an acid, a reducing agent, an optional complexing agent, an optional buffer, or mixtures thereof.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the electroless bath further comprises a base, a reducing agent, an optional complexing agent, an optional buffer, and mixtures thereof.