Apparatus for Automatic Tracking and Identification of Device Components

• US 20100197991A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Heath
• Original Assignee: Christopher Heath
• Inventors: Heath, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,449,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1008 Apparatus for temporary insertion of sources, e.g. afterloaders
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus and method to track and identify radioactive sources are described. In one embodiment, a device includes first housing for a radioactive source having a first electronic tag, a second housing for the radioactive source having a second electronic tag, and a guide tube that couples the first housing with the second housing. The guide tube includes a third electronic tag. The first, second, and third electronic tags communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source. In one embodiment, the electronic tags may be a radio frequency identification device (RFID).

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first housing for a radioactive source;

a second housing for the radioactive source; and

a guide tube to couple the first housing with the second housing, wherein the first housing, the second housing and the guide tube use one or more electronic tags to communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing has a first electronic tag, the second housing has a second electronic tag, and the guide has a third electronic tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first, second, and third electronic tags comprise a radio frequency identification tag for wireless communication of information between each electronic tag.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises an afterloader and the second housing comprises an applicator to form the delivery path for the radioactive source to a patient.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises an afterloader and the second housing comprises a radioactive source container chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is disposed on a surface of the first housing, second housing, and guide tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency identification tag is embedded within the first housing, second housing, and guide tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the afterloader further comprises a plurality of ports to couple to the guide tube, and wherein the first electronic tag contains information related to a first port that is coupled to the guide tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the applicator further comprises a plurality of channels to receive the radioactive source, and wherein the second electronic tag contains information related to the a first channel that is coupled to the guide tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the afterloader further comprises a plurality of ports to couple to the guide tube, and wherein the first electronic tag contains information related to a first port that is coupled to the guide tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the radioactive source container chamber further comprises a plurality of channels to receive the radioactive source, and wherein the second electronic tag contains information related to the a first channel that is coupled to the guide tube.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller to determine that a coupling of the guide tube and the first and second housing is incorrect for a prescribed plan and to adjust the prescribed plan to use the delivery path for the radioactive source.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source afterloader;

a second radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source applicator;

a third radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a guide tube to couple the radioactive source afterloader with the radioactive source applicator; and

a radio frequency identification device tag controller disposed on the radioactive source afterloader to coordinate the communication between the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives signals from the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags related to the coupling of the guide tube with the radioactive source afterloader and the radioactive source applicator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives signals from the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags related to audit information.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radioactive source afterloader comprises a plurality of ports to couple with the guide tube, and wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives information from the first radio frequency identification device tag related to a first port coupled to the guide tube.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radioactive source applicator comprises a plurality of channels to couple with the guide tube, and wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives information from the second radio frequency identification device tag related to a first channel coupled to the guide tube.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a radiation source delivery path having electronic tags disposed on each of a first guide tube, a multi-channel afterloader, and a multi-channel applicator to identify attachment of the first guide tube to a first port of the multi-channel afterloader and a first channel of the multi-channel applicator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each electronic tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag for wireless communication of information between the electronic tags.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the multi-channel afterloader comprises a radio frequency identification device tag controller to coordinate the communication between the radio frequency identification device tags in response to receiving signals from the tags related to the coupling of the first guide tube with the radioactive source afterloader and the radioactive source applicator.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

electronic tags disposed on each of a first guide tube, a second guide tube, a multi-channel radioactive source chamber, and a multi-port afterloader to confirm attachment of the first guide tube to a first channel of the multi-channel radioactive source chamber and a first port of the multi-port afterloader, and to confirm attachment of the second guide tube to a second channel of the multi-channel radioactive source chamber and a second port of the multi-port afterloader.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein each electronic tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag for wireless communication of information between the electronic tags.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the multi-channel afterloader comprises a radio frequency identification device tag controller to coordinate the communication between the radio frequency identification device tags in response to receiving signals from the tags related to the coupling of the first guide tube with the radioactive source afterloader and the radioactive source applicator.