Loading clip for radioisotope seeds

• US 6,599,231 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Theragenics Corporation (Juniper Investment Co. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mentor Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Hoedeman, George M., Berkey, John J., Elliott, Daniel M., Elliott, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cadugan, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/658,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 600/1-8, 600/427, 604/57, 604/59-64, 250/507.1, 976/DIG.350, 42/87, 42/88
• US Class Current: 600/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1009 Apparatus for loading seeds into magazines or needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/101 Magazines or cartridges for seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1011 Apparatus for permanent insertion of sources
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy

Abstract

A loading clip for low dose radioisotope seeds has a body having a channel defined therein. The channel has a cavity adapted for receiving a radioisotope seed at a distal end. A slider member slidably positionable within the channel has a spring biased tooth at a distal end. A constant force spring member is slidably positioned within the channel between the slider member and the body. Radioisotope seeds are magazined into the loading clip biased against the constant force spring member by operation of the slider member extending the tooth over the cavity and retracting a radioisotope seed in the cavity into the channel. In one embodiment, radioisotope seeds are magazined into the loading clip that is then used to load an automated seed cartridge. In this embodiment, the loading clip has structure for mating with an aperture in the automated seed cartridge so as to introduce radioisotope seeds into the seed cartridge one at a time. Preferably, the loading clip is provided with a machine readable storage medium accessible via an electrical connector that stores indicia representing at least information about the radioisotope seeds located in the loading clip.

Claims

1. A loading clip for low dose radioisotope seeds, comprising:

a body having a channel defined therein, the channel having a cavity adapted for receiving a radioisotope seed at a distal end;

a slider member slidably positionable within the channel having a spring-biased tooth at a distal end;

a constant-force spring member slidably positionable within the channel between the slider member and the body, such that radioisotope seeds are magazined into the loading clip biased against the constant-force spring member by operation of the slider member extending the tooth over the cavity and retracting a radioisotope seed in the cavity into the channel; and

a machine-readable storage medium in the loading clip accessible via an electrical connector that stores indicia representing at least information about the radioisotope seeds located in the loading clip.

2. The loading clip of claim 1 further comprising an aperture in the cavity orthogonal to the orientation of the channel whereby radioisotope seeds are introduced into the cavity.

3. A method of loading radioisotope seeds into an automated cartridge for use in an automated system for low dose radioisotope procedures comprising:

loading a replaceable cartridge into the automated system, the replaceable cartridge having a positionable member containing structure defining chambers for a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a housing arrangement having defined therein a first aperture through which an elongated member selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from chambers along a line of travel and a second aperture rearward of the positionable member along the line of travel of the elongated member through which radioisotope seeds are introduced into the line of travel of the elongated member and loaded into the chambers in the selectively positionable member;

operably connecting a separate loading clip to the second aperture of the replaceable cartridge, the loading clip having a plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded therein; and

automatically loading radioisotope seeds into the selected chamber from the loading clip using the elongated member.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

automatically positioning the positionable member and generating a positional feedback signal of a position of the chambers relative to the line of travel such that radioisotope seeds are automatically loaded when the positional feedback signal indicates that a selected chamber is in line with the line of travel.

5. A system for loading an automated cartridge for use in an automated system for low dose radioisotope procedures, comprising:

a housing arrangement, the housing arrangement including structure that mates with structure of the automated system;

a selectively positionable member within the housing arrangement having structure defined therein for containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds in chambers defined in the positionable member;

a first machine-readable storage medium in the housing accessible via a first electrical connector that stores indicia representing a content of each chamber in the positionable member;

a first aperture in the housing arrangement through which an elongated member selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from chambers in the positionable member when a given chamber is aligned with the aperture along a line of travel of the elongated member;

a second aperture in the housing arrangement rearward of the selectively positionable member along the line of travel of the elongated member through which radioisotope seeds are introduced into the line of travel of the elongated member and loaded into the chambers in the selectively positionable member;

automated means for positioning the selectively positionable member; and

a loading clip containing at least a plurality of radioisotope seeds and having structure for mating with the second aperture to introduce radioisotope seeds into the second aperture one at a time;

a second machine-readable storage medium in the loading clip accessible via a second electrical connector that stores indicia representing a content of the loading clip, such that information from the indicia in the second machine-readable storage medium is transferred to the first machine readable storage medium under control of the automated system.

6. A system for loading an automated cartridge for use in an automated system for low dose radioisotope procedures, comprising:

a housing arrangement, the housing arrangement including structure that mates with structure of the automated system;

a selectively positionable member within the housing arrangement having structure defined therein for containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds in chambers defined in the positionable member;

a first aperture in the housing arrangement through which an elongated member selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from chambers in the positionable member when a given chamber is aligned with the aperture along a line of travel of the elongated member;

a second aperture in the housing arrangement rearward of the selectively positionable member along the line of travel of the elongated member through which radioisotope seeds are introduced into the line of travel of the elongated member and loaded into the chambers in the selectively positionable member;

automated means for positioning the selectively positionable member; and

a loading clip containing at least a plurality of radioisotope seeds and having structure for mating with the second aperture to introduce radioisotope seeds into the second aperture one at a time, the loading clip comprising;

a body having a channel defined therein, the channel having a cavity adapted for receiving a radioisotope seed at a distal end;

a slider member slidably positionable within the channel having a spring-biased tooth at a distal end; and

a constant-force spring member slidably positionable within the channel between the slider member and the body, such that radioisotope seeds are magazined into the loading clip biased against the constant-force spring member by operation of the slider member extending the tooth over the cavity and retracting a radioisotope seed in the cavity into the channel.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising an aperture in the cavity orthogonal to the orientation of the channel whereby radioisotope seeds are introduced into the cavity.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a machine readable storage medium in the loading clip accessible via an electrical connector that stores indicia representing at least information about the radioisotope seeds located in the loading clip.