Delivery for interstitial radiotherapy using hollow seeds

• US 20070135674A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG S.A (Eckert & Ziegler AG)
• Original Assignee: Ideamatrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Lamoureux, Gary, Terwilliger, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,252,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1023 Means for creating a row of seeds, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/151 Coating hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/157 Coating linked inserts, e.g. chains
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A delivery system and method for interstitial radiation therapy uses a seed strand composed of a plurality of tubular shaped, hollow radioactive seeds with a bore. The seed strand as assembled with a material provided in the bore and between the spaced seeds is axially stiff and radially flexible and is bioabsorbable in living tissue.

Claims

1. A method for making a therapeutic element using a plurality of radioactive seed elements, each of which has a hollow bore extending through the seed element between two longitudinal ends of the seed element, the method comprising:

inserting an elongate member through the hollow bore of each of the radioactive seed elements so that portions of the elongate member extend from the two ends of each seed element; and

heating said elongate member to cause the elongate member to expand, to thereby capture said radioactive seed elements at intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the intervals can be independently set to a desired length.

2. A method for making a therapeutic element using a plurality of radioactive seed elements, each of which has a hollow bore extending through the seed element, the method comprising:

arranging the plurality of radioactive seed elements end-to-end with desired spacings between adjacent radioactive seed elements;

flowing a material through the bores and between the radioactive seed elements without substantially encapsulating the radioactive seed elements; and

allowing the material to cool, to thereby assemble the radioactive seed elements together at intervals.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein at least some of the intervals can be independently set to a desired length.

3. A method for making a therapeutic element using a plurality of radioactive seed elements, each of which has a hollow bore extending through the seed element between two longitudinal ends of the seed element, the method comprising:

inserting an elongate member through the hollow bore of each of the radioactive seed elements so that portions of the elongate member extend from the two ends of each seed element; and

crimping portions of said elongate member that are adjacent the two ends of each of the seeds so that the crimped portions do not fit through the hollow bores of the seed elements, to thereby capture said radioactive seed elements at intervals.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein at least some of the intervals can be independently set to a desired length.