Radioisotope stent with increased radiation field strength at the ends of the stent
First Claim
1. A radioisotope stent comprising a generally cylindrical, thin-walled, metal structure, the stent having an end region near each end of the stent and a central region located generally at the longitudinal center of the stent, the stent including a radioactive material which is a radioisotope, the radioisotope being fixedly joined to the metal of the stent, the stent also having a greater amount of a radioisotope per unit length of the stent at the end regions of the stent compared to a lesser amount of radioisotope per unit length at the central region of the stent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a radioisotope stent that has increased radioactivity at the end regions of the stent as compared to the stent'"'"'s central region. To minimize the neointimal hyperplasia that may exist to a greater extent at the ends of a stent that is implanted into an artery of a human body, the amount of radioactivity placed at or near the ends of the stent should be increased as compared to the amount of radioactivity over the remainder of the stent. It is an additional object of this invention to increase the radiation field at the end of a radioisotope stent by placing additional metal surfaces at the ends of the stent so as to have additional surfaces onto which a radioisotope can be placed.
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Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A radioisotope stent comprising a generally cylindrical, thin-walled, metal structure, the stent having an end region near each end of the stent and a central region located generally at the longitudinal center of the stent, the stent including a radioactive material which is a radioisotope, the radioisotope being fixedly joined to the metal of the stent, the stent also having a greater amount of a radioisotope per unit length of the stent at the end regions of the stent compared to a lesser amount of radioisotope per unit length at the central region of the stent.
Specification