Radiation source delivery wire and catheter assembly for radiation therapy provided with the same

• US 6,354,989 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Nudeshima, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veniaminov, Nikita
• Application Number:
  US09/416,938
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 250/106, 600/3, 600/7, 604/264, 606/198
• US Class Current: 600/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1023 Means for creating a row of seeds, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1025 Wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1002 Intraluminal radiation therapy

Abstract

A radiation source delivery wire has a flexible operating wire member, and an irradiation member including a radiation source for applying radiation to a target portion in a cavity of a living body. The irradiation member including the radiation source is so constructed as to be flexibly bendable, and a distal end portion of the operating wire member constitutes a narrowing portion which gradually narrows toward its distal end.

Claims

1. A radiation source delivery wire comprising:

a flexible operating wire member having a distal end portion constituting a narrowing portion which gradually narrows toward a distal end, said operating wire member having a stiffness capable of transmitting an operation at its proximal end to its distal end;

a covering layer provided on an external surface of said operating wire member, said covering layer providing said operating member with resilience and pliability;

an irradiation member including a radiation source for applying radiation to a target portion in a cavity of a living body, said irradiation member being so constructed as to be flexibly bendable; and

a tube made of a flexible resin material directly fitted to said irradiation member to sealingly encapsulate said irradiation member, a proximal end of said tube being joined to said covering layer to constitute a smooth surface of the radiation source delivery wire.

2. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said irradiation member is provided at the narrowing portion.

3. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said irradiation member includes radiopaque markers for indicating a position of the radiation source.

4. The delivery wire according to claim 3, wherein said radiation source and radiopaque markers are accommodated in a thin-walled flexible tube.

5. The delivery wire according to claim 4, wherein at least one end of said tube is closed.

6. The delivery wire according to claim 4, wherein said tube is formed of a resin.

7. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said radiation source comprises a β

-emitting radio-isotope.

8. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said radiation source comprises a powdery emitting member.

9. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said radiation source comprises a deformable substrate and radioactive substance carried by said substrate.

10. The delivery wire according to claim 1, wherein said irradiation member comprises a plurality of individual radiation sources, and flexible connectors for connecting said plurality of the individual radiation sources substantially in line on a common axial line.

11. The delivery wire according to claim 10, wherein each of said connectors is provided between two adjacent individual radiation sources and comprises a plurality of linear members or ribbon members whose one end is connected to a proximal end of one of the two adjacent individual radiation sources and whose other end is connected to a distal end of the other of the two adjacent individual radiation sources.

12. The delivery wire according to claim 10, wherein said connector is made of a flexible, bendable tube-like member accommodating said plurality of the individual radiation sources substantially in line on the common axial line.

24. A catheter assembly for radiation therapy comprising:

(a) a radiation source delivery wire according to claim 1;

(b) a catheter for radiation therapy, comprising a catheter body, and an elongated lumen which is provided in the catheter body and through which the radiation source delivery wire may be inserted.

25. The assembly according to claim 24, wherein said catheter has a radiopaque marker disposed in the catheter body, for indicating a position of the radiation source of the wire device inserted into said lumen.

26. The assembly according to claim 25, wherein said radiopaque marker is formed of X-ray opaque material.

27. The assembly according to claim 24, wherein a distal end of the cavity is closed.

29. A radiation therapy method comprising:

providing a radiation therapy catheter comprising a catheter body, an elongated lumen which is provided in the catheter body and through which a radiation source delivery wire can be inserted, and a radiopaque marker provided for indicating a predetermine region at a distal portion of the catheter;

positioning said radiation therapy catheter such that said radiopaque marker is positioned in the vicinity of a target tissue of a living body;

inserting a radiation source delivery wire according to claim 1 or 28 into said lumen of said catheter, and positioning said radiation source in the predetermined region while referring to the radiopaque markers;

keeping the radiation source to said predetermined region for a predetermined time so as to administer the prescribed dose of radiation to the target tissue for a predetermined time; and

removing the radiation source delivery wire from the living body.

30. A radiation therapy method comprising:

providing a catheter assembly for radiation therapy, comprising, in combination;

a radiation therapy catheter comprising a catheter body, and an elongated lumen having a closed distal end, and an elongated lumen having a closed distal end, which is provided in the catheter body and through which a radiation source delivery wire can be inserted, and

a radiation source delivery wire according to claim 1 or 28,

said catheter and wire device being constructed such that when said wire device is inserted into said elongated lumen until its distal end reaches said closed distal end of said elongated lumen, the radiation source of said wire device is located in a predetermined distal region of said catheter;

positioning said catheter such that said predetermined region is located in the vicinity of a target tissue in a living body;

inserting the radiation source delivery wire according to claim 1 or 28 into said elongated lumen until its distal end reaches said closed end of said elongated lumen so that the radiation source is located in said predetermined region;

keeping the radiation source to said predetermined region for a predetermined time so as to administer the prescribed dose of radiation to a target tissue for a predetermined time; and

removing the radiation source delivery wire from the living body.

31. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said irradiation member is provided at the narrowing portion.

32. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said irradiation member includes radiopaque markers for indicating a position of the radiation source.

33. The delivery wire according to claim 32, wherein said radiation source and radiopaque markers are accommodated in a thin-walled flexible tube.

34. The delivery wire according to claim 33, wherein at least one end of said tube is closed.

35. The delivery wire according to claim 33, wherein said tube is formed of a resin.

36. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said radiation source comprises a β

-emitting radio-isotope.

37. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said radiation source comprises a powdery emitting member.

38. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said radiation source comprises a deformable substrate and radioactive substance carried by said substrate.

39. The delivery wire according to claim 30, wherein said irradiation member comprises a plurality of individual radiation sources, and flexible connectors for connecting said plurality of individual radiation sources substantially in line on a common axial line.

40. The delivery wire according to claim 39, wherein each of said connectors is provided between two adjacent individual radiation sources and comprises a plurality of linear members or ribbon members having one end connected to a proximal end of one of the two adjacent individual radiation sources and having another end connected to a distal end of the other end of the two adjacent individual radiation sources.

41. The delivery wire according to claim 39, wherein said connector is made of a flexible, bendable tube-like member accommodating said plurality of individual radiation sources substantially in line on the common axial line.

13. A radiation source delivery wire comprising:

a flexible operating wire member; and

an irradiation member comprising a flexible, deformable medium and a radioactive substance mixed in or carried by said medium for applying radiation to a target in a cavity of a living body,

wherein said flexible, deformable medium is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a soft rubber material, elastic resin material and waterproof gel.

14. The delivery wire according to claim 13, wherein said irradiation member is accommodated in a thin-walled, flexible tube.

15. The delivery wire according to claim 14, wherein at least one end of the tube is closed.

16. The delivery wire according to claim 14, wherein said tube is formed of a resin.

17. The delivery wire according to claim 13, wherein said irradiation member is accommodated in a thin-walled, flexible tube, and at least one end of the tube is closed by a radiopaque marker.

18. The delivery wire according to claim 13, wherein said radiation source contains a β

-emitting radio-isotope.

19. A radiation source delivery wire comprising:

a flexible operating wire member having a stiffness capable of transmitting an operation at its proximal end to its distal end; and

an irradiation member for applying radiation to a target portion in a cavity of a living body,

wherein said irradiation member comprises a connected body including a plurality of individual radiation sources and flexibly bendable connectors connecting said individual radiation sources substantially in line on a common axial line; and

a joint portion joining a proximal end of the connected body to a distal end of the operating wire member, and wherein the connected body is provided more distal than the distal end of the operating wire member.

20. The delivery wire according to claim 19, wherein said connected body has a length of about 20 to about 40 mm.

21. The delivery wire according to claim 19, wherein said connector is provided between two adjacent individual emitting members and comprises a plurality of linear members or ribbon members whose one end is connected to a proximal end of one of the adjacent emitting members and whose other end is connected to a distal end of the other of the adjacent radiators.

22. The delivery wire according to claim 21, wherein said connector comprises a plurality of connecting members comprising a plurality of linear members or ribbon members provided between two adjacent emitting members, and the connecting members are shifted in a circumferential direction of the emitting member relative to the other.

23. The delivery wire according to claim 19, wherein said connector is a substantially tube-like, flexibly bendable member located outside said plurality of the emitting members, and accommodates said plurality of the emitting members substantially in line on a common axial line.

28. A radiation source delivery wire comprising:

a flexible operating wire member having a distal end portion constituting a narrowing portion which gradually narrows toward a distal end, said operating wire member having a stiffness capable of transmitting an operation at its proximal end to its distal end;

an irradiation member including a radiation source for applying radiation to a target portion in a cavity of a living body, said irradiation member being so constructed as to be flexibly bendable; and

a tube made of a flexible resin material directly fitted to said irradiation member to sealingly encapsulating said irradiation member; and

a fixing member filling a space between said tube and said narrowing portion of the operating wire member to fix said irradiation member and said operating wire member.