Therapeutic metal seed containing within a radioactive isotope disposed on a carrier and method of manufacture

• US 3,351,049 A
• Filed: 04/12/1965
• Issued: 11/07/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1965
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald C. Lawrence
• Original Assignee: Donald C. Lawrence
• Inventors: Lawrence, Donald C.
• Application Number:
  US04/447,251
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• US Class Current: 600/8
• 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 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1024 Seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 5/015 for storing radioactive sources, e.g. source carriers for irradiation units; Radioisotope containers

Claims

1. A RADIOACTIVE SEED FOR USE IN RADIATION THERAPY OF TISSUE COMPRISING A SEALED CONTAINER HAVING AN ELONGATE CAVITY THEREIN AND CONSTRUCTED WITH WALLS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS, A THERAPEUTIC AMOUNT OF SOFT X-RAY EMANATING RADIOISOTOPE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAVITY, SAID SOFT X-RAY EMANATING ISOTOPE HAVING A CHARACTERISTIC RADIATION SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF WHICH LIES BETWEEN ABOUT 20 KEV. AND 100 KEV. AND BEING ESSENTIALLY FREE FROM ALPHA AND BETA RADIATIONS AND HIGHER ENERGY X-RAY AND GAMMA RADIATIONS, SAID ISOTOPE HAVING A HALF-LIFE FROM ABOUT 8 TO 100 DAYS, AND MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAVITY FOR MAINTAING SAID RADIOISOTOPE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CAVIT, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS BEING MADE OF A MATERIAL SELECTED TO HAVE LOW ABSORPTION FOR SOFT X-RAY TO THEREBY MINIMIZE INTERNAL ABSORPTION, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING WALLS BEING MADE OF A METAL SELECTED TO HAVE A RELATIVELY LOW ATOMIC NUMBER TO THEREBY MINIMIZE THE ABSORPTION OF SOFT X-RAYS WHILE COMPLETELY CONTAINING THE ISOTOPE, SAID METAL BEING FURTHER SELECTED TO BE NONTOXIC AND NONSOLUBLE IN THE TISSUE BEING TREATED.

16. A METHOD FRO MAKING A THERAPEUTICALLY RADIOACTIVE SEED COMPRISING SOAKING A NYLON CARRIER BODY OF AN ORGANIC POLYMER IS A SOLUTION CONTAINING THE RADIOACTIVE IODINE INSOTOPE I125 SO THAT SAID BODY CONTAINS A THERAPEUTIC AMOUNT OF THE I125 THEN PLACING SAID BODY AXIALLY INSIDE OF A STAINLESS STEEL TUBE, AND FUSING THE ENDS OF SAID TUBE TO SEAL THE SAME.