MARKERS FOR USE IN BRACHYTHERAPY AND OTHER RADIATION THERAPY THAT RESIST MIGRATION AND ROTATION

• US 20090124894A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theragenics Corporation (Juniper Investment Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Biocompatibles UK Limited (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lamoureux, Gary A., Johnston, Warren W., Matons, James, Rice, Warren, Bouffard, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1023 Means for creating a row of seeds, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1024 Seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy

Abstract

In an embodiment, an implantable marker, which is adapted to be implanted into patient tissue using a hollow needle, includes a marker body including a radiopaque material and a polymeric material that encapsulates at least a portion of the marker body. In an embodiment, an outer surface of the encapsulating material includes one or more protrusions to reduce a tendency of the marker to migrate and rotate within a patient'"'"'s body after implantation.

Claims

1. An implantable marker, comprising:

a marker body including a radiopaque material; and

a polymeric material that encapsulates at least a portion of the marker body;

wherein an outer surface of the encapsulating material includes one or more protrusions to reduce a tendency of the marker to migrate and rotate within a patient'"'"'s body after implantation;

wherein the implantable marker is adapted to be implanted into patient tissue using a hollow needle; and

wherein the implantable marker is non-radioactive.

2. The implantable marker of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is bio-absorbable.

3. The implantable marker of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is molded to encapsulate at least a portion of the marker body.

4. The implantable marker of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is molded to completely encapsulate the marker body.

5. The implantable marker of claim 1, wherein the radiopaque material comprises gold or tungsten.

6. The implantable marker of claim 1, wherein implantable marker is at least temporarily stored within a cartridge adapted for use with a brachytherapy applicator having a hollow needle, where the cartridge is adapted to load the implantable marker into the hollow needle.

7. An implantable marker, comprising:

a marker body that is at least partially radiopaque; and

a polymeric material molded to completely encapsulate the marker body;

wherein an outer surface of the encapsulating material includes one or more protrusions to reduce a tendency of the marker to migrate and rotate within a patient'"'"'s body after implantation; and

wherein the implantable marker is adapted to be implanted into patient tissue using a hollow needle.

8. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein the implantable marker is non-radioactive.

9. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein:

the one or more protrusions are made from the polymeric material that encapsulates the marker body; and

the polymeric material is bio-absorbable.

10. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein the one or more protrusions are made of a non bio-absorbable material that is attached to the encapsulating material.

11. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein an outer surface of the encapsulating material includes a plurality of ribbed shaped protrusions.

12. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein the one or more protrusions are defined by a shape of a mold that is used to encapsulate the marker.

13. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein the one or more protrusions include one or more ribs that encircle a radial circumference of the marker body.

14. The implantable marker of claim 13, wherein the one or more ribs form one or more ring or a helix about the radial circumference of the marker body.

15. The implantable marker of claim 13, wherein each rib extends at least 0.002 inches beyond portions of the material where there is not a protrusion.

16. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein the outer surface of the encapsulating material includes a plurality of the protrusions.

17. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of protrusions extend at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the marker body.

18. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of protrusions extend in a radial direction with respect to the marker body.

19. The implantable marker of claim 7, wherein implantable marker is at least temporarily stored within a cartridge adapted for use with a brachytherapy applicator having a hollow needle, where the cartridge is adapted to load the implantable marker into the hollow needle.

20. An implantable marker, comprising:

a member that is at least partially radiopaque; and

a polymeric material molded to completely encapsulate the member that is at least partially radiopaque;

wherein the implantable marker is adapted to be implanted into patient tissue using a hollow needle; and

wherein a portion of the molded polymeric material extends in a longitudinal direction with respect to the member to reduce a tendency of the member to migrate and rotate within a patient'"'"'s body after implantation of the member.

21. The implantable marker of claim 20, wherein the implantable marker is non-radioactive.

22. The implantable marker of claim 20, wherein:

the member that is at least partially radiopaque has a first length; and

the polymeric material molded to completely encapsulate the member causes the member to have a second length that is greater than the first length.

23. The implantable marker of claim 22, wherein:

the member that is at least partially radiopaque has a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end; and

the portion of the molded polymeric material extends from one of the first and second longitudinal ends of the solitary radioactive seed.

24. The implantable marker of claim 20, wherein the portion of the molded polymeric material, that extends in the longitudinal direction with respect to the member, includes a void or groove that at least some patient tissue will occupy after implantation of the marker.

25. The implantable marker of claim 20, wherein implantable marker is at least temporarily stored within a cartridge adapted for use with a brachytherapy applicator having a hollow needle, where the cartridge is adapted to load the implantable marker into the hollow needle.