Device and method for implanting radioactive seeds
First Claim
1. A device for implanting radioactive seeds in an animal body through a number of needles implanted in said animal body, said number being one or more, said device comprising:
- electronic control means;
loading means connected to said control means for arranging a number of trains of said radioactive seeds in an equal number of channels within said loading means in response to said control means;
drive means connected to said control means for extending a wire to push said trains of radioactive seeds from said channels through a number of tubes, said number being one or more, each said tube coupled at a first end to said one of said channels and coupled at a second end to one of said implant needles, in response to said control means; and
retracting means connected to said implant needles for retracting each of said implant needles from said animal body while said pushing wire is in an extended position to thereby implant said radioactive seeds.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular device for implanting radioactive seeds in an animal body through a needle implanted in the body. The device comprises an electronic control device controlling a pushing drive, a seed and spacer supply container, a multichannel holder for seed-spacer trains. A tube connects between the multichannel holder and the needle. The needle is retractable by retracting means coupled to the needle. Optionally the retracting means are controlled by the electronic control device. The device may also be embodied in a combination of a seed loading module in which trains of seeds are loaded in channels in a removable multichannel holder and a seed implanting module in which trains of seeds from a multichannel holder are pushed into needles implanted in the body. Parts that may be contaminated with blood are made removable for sterilization or disposal.
45 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A device for implanting radioactive seeds in an animal body through a number of needles implanted in said animal body, said number being one or more, said device comprising:
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electronic control means;
loading means connected to said control means for arranging a number of trains of said radioactive seeds in an equal number of channels within said loading means in response to said control means;
drive means connected to said control means for extending a wire to push said trains of radioactive seeds from said channels through a number of tubes, said number being one or more, each said tube coupled at a first end to said one of said channels and coupled at a second end to one of said implant needles, in response to said control means; and
retracting means connected to said implant needles for retracting each of said implant needles from said animal body while said pushing wire is in an extended position to thereby implant said radioactive seeds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 40, 42, 43, 44)
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- 19. A seed loading module comprising electronic control means, said seed loading module further comprising loading means connected to said control means for, in response to said control means, arranging a number of trains of radioactive seeds, said number being one or more, in an equal number of channels in a multichannel holder within said seed loading module, said seed loading module including a supply container having a reservoir for radioactive seeds and drive means connected to said control means for extending a wire to push radioactive seeds from said supply container into said channels.
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20. A seed implanting module comprising electronic control means, said seed implanting module further comprising receiving means for receiving a number of trains of radioactive seeds, said number being one or more, in an equal number of channels in a removable multichannel holder, drive means connected to said control means for extending a wire to push said trains of radioactive seeds from said channels into a number of implant needles through a number of tubes, said number being one or more, each said tube coupled at a first end to one of said channels and coupled at a second end to one of said implant needles, in response to said control means;
- and retracting means connected to said implant needles for retracting each of said implant needles from said animal body while said pushing wire is in an extended position to thereby implant said radioactive seeds.
- View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for implanting radioactive seeds in an animal body through a number of needles implanted in said animal body, said number being one or more, said method comprising:
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determining a desired pattern of seeds and inputting said desired pattern into an electronic control device;
arranging a train of seeds in a channel in accordance with said desired pattern for each of said implant needles in response to a signal from said control device;
extending a drive wire to push each said trains of seeds from its channel through a tube and into a corresponding one of said implant needles in accordance with said desired pattern in response to a signal from said control device and retracting each of said implant needles while holding said drive wire in an extended position to thereby implant the trains of seeds in the animal body in said desired pattern. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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- 51. A seed loading module for loading seeds into implant needles comprising control means, said seed loading module further comprising loading means connected to said control means for in response to said control means arranging trains of radioactive seeds, said seed loading module including a supply container having a reservoir for radioactive seeds and drive means connected to said control means for extending a wire to push radioactive seeds from said supply container to said implant needles.
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57. A method for loading radioactive seeds in a number of needles, said number being one or more, said method comprising:
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determining a desired pattern of seeds and inputting said desired pattern into an electronic control device;
arranging at least one train of seeds in accordance with said desired pattern for at least one of said implant needles in response to signals from said control device;
extending a drive wire to push said at least one train of seeds into a corresponding one of said implant needles in accordance with said desired pattern in response to signals from said control device and retracting the drive wire.
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Specification