Capsule for interstitial implants

• US 4,784,116 A
• Filed: 07/29/1987
• Issued: 11/15/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Theragenics Corporation (Juniper Investment Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Theragenics Corporation (Juniper Investment Co. LLC)
• Inventors: Russell, John L. Jr., Coggins, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Application Number:
  US07/079,766
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1.1, 128/1.2, 424/1.1, 424/1.5
• 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 2005/1024 Seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/928 X-ray agent

Abstract

A seed for implanting radioactive material within the living body of a recipient which contains radioactive material which emits therapeutic radiation to treat a specific localized area of the recipient'"'"'s body. A capsule, which sealingly encloses the radioactive material, preventing contact with the recipient'"'"'s body fluid and tissue, includes a generally cylindrical body portion having a pair of open ends. End members of a wall thickness substantially that of the cylindrical body close the open ends, and include an end wall and a generally tubular skirt portion extending therefrom. The skirt portion and the ends of the cylindrical body are deformably joined together by welding, crimping, peening or other cold flow metal treatment, to form a hermetic seal between the end cap and cylindrical body. Also disclosed is a cylindrical plug-like coupling member which joins the pair of seeds in end-to-end coaxial relationship. Each end of the coupling member is received in a socket-like cavity formed in the hollow interior of one end member.

Claims

1. A seed for implanting radiation-emitting material within a living body, comprising:

radiation-emitting material; and

a container means for sealingly enclosing said radiation-emitting material, including a tubular body of substantially uniform wall thickness having at least one open end and an end cap of wall thickness not substantially greater than that of said tubular body closing said open end, said end cap having an end wall and a generally tubular skirt portion depending from the periphery of said end wall and terminating in a free end, said skirt portion being at least partially received in the open end of said tubular body so as to engage said tubular body, said skirt portion and said tubular body interfitting and joined to each other to form a fluid-tight seal, so as to prevent contact between bodily fluids and said radiation-emitting material in said container.

2. The seed of claim 1 wherein said skirt portion extends from said end wall in a direction longitudinally of said tubular body toward a medial portion along the length of said tubular body.

3. The seed of claim 2 further comprising a second end cap at least partially disposed within and joined to another end of said tubular body.

4. The seed of claim 3 wherein the tubular body has a circular cross section and the end wall has a circular edge which is welded to said tubular body.

5. The seed of claim 1 wherein said skirt portion extends away from said end wall in a direction longitudinally along said tubular body toward said open end.

6. The seed of claim 5 wherein the skirt portion crimpingly engages said tubular body. PG,20

7. The seed of claim 5 wherein said free end of the skirt is joined by a weld to an end edge of the open end of said tubular body.

8. The seed of claim 5 wherein the skirt portion of said end cap has a generally cylindrical shape defining a plug-receiving socket, the seed further comprising a plug-like coupling member having a first end engagingly received in said socket and a second end engagingly receivable in a socket of another seed.

9. The seed of claim 5 wherein the skirt portion of said end cap and the open end of said tubular body receiving said skirt portion are deformed toward the longitudinal axis of said tubular body so as to form the fluid-tight seal therebetween.

10. The seed of claim 5 wherein said skirt portion has a generally frustoconical shape opening away from the periphery of said end wall, and the open end of said tubular body has a flair extending away from the longitudinal axis of said tubular body.

11. A seed for implanting radiation-emitting material within a living body, comprising:

radiation-emitting material;

a tubular body enclosing said radiation-emitting material, said tubular body having a substantially uniform wall thickness and at least one open end; and

a closure member having a wall of thickness not substantially greater than that of said tubular body, said wall of said closure member having an end portion and a generally tubular skirt portion depending from the periphery of the end portion and terminating in a free end; and

said closure member being interfitted within the end of said tubular body and joined thereto by welding to form;

a fluid-tight seal, so as to prevent contact between bodily fluids and said radiation-emitting material disposed within said tubular body.

12. The seed of claim 11 wherein the skirt portion of said closure member wall extends from said wall end portion in a direction longitudinally along said tubular body toward a medial portion of said tubular body.

13. The seed of claim 11 wherein the skirt portion of said closure member wall extends away from said wall end portion in a direction longitudinally along said tubular body toward the open end.

14. The seed of claim 11 wherein said skirt portion has a generally frustonical shape opening away from the periphery of said end wall, and the open end of said tubular body has a flair extending away from the longitudinal axis of said tubular body.

15. A seed for implanting radiation-emitting material within a living body, comprising:

radiation-emitting material;

a tubular body enclosing said radiation-emitting material, said tubular body having a substantially uniform wall thickness and at least one open end; and

a closure member having a wall of thickness not substantially greater than that of said tubular body, said wall of said closure member having an end portion and a generally tubular skirt portion depending from the periphery of the end portion and terminating in a free end; and

said closure member being interfitted within the end of said tubular body and joined thereto by mechanical deformation to form a fluid-tight seal, so as to prevent contact between bodily fluids and said radiation-emitting material disposed within said tubular body.

16. The seed of claim 15 wherein the skirt portion of said closure member wall extends from said wall end portion in a direction longitudinally along said tubular body toward a medial portion of said tubular body.

17. The seed of claim 15 wherein the skirt portion of said closure member wall extends away from said wall end portion in a direction longitudinally along said tubular body toward the open end.

18. The seed of claim 15 wherein said skirt portion has a generally frustoconical shape opening away from the periphery of said end wall, and the open end of said tubular body has a flair extending away from the longitudinal axis of said tubular body.