Delivery system and method for interstitial radiation therapy using seed strands with custom end spacing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A prescription method to create a plurality of treatment strands, comprising:
- accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, which treatment plan specifies a number and spacing of treatment seeds to be provided in each of a plurality of treatment strands that includes a distal end and a proximal end, where the distal end is intended to be implanted prior to the proximal end; and
creating the plurality of treatment strands so that the treatment strands satisfy the treatment plan when distal ends of the treatment strands are implanted into a patient to the same depth using needles that are inserted into the patient to the same depth;
wherein at least two of the plurality of treatment strands have a custom distal end spacing between the distal end of each treatment strand and the adjacent treatment seed to thereby enable the treatment plan to be satisfied when the distal ends of the plurality of the treatment strands are implanted to the same depth using needles that are inserted to the same depth; and
wherein the custom distal end spacings of at least two of the plurality of the treatment strands have different lengths.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A delivery system and method for interstitial radiation therapy comprising a substantially axially stiff and longitudinally flexible elongated strand made of material, which is bio-absorbable in living tissue and a plurality of radioactive seeds dispersed in a predetermined array within the strand. The delivery system and method further customize the strand based on a prescription. The strands can have custom end spacings, which allow the optimal placing of seeds within the treatment tissue by implanting a plurality of strands to the same depth. A plurality of these strands can be implanted at the same time by the use of a guiding device.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A prescription method to create a plurality of treatment strands, comprising:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, which treatment plan specifies a number and spacing of treatment seeds to be provided in each of a plurality of treatment strands that includes a distal end and a proximal end, where the distal end is intended to be implanted prior to the proximal end; and creating the plurality of treatment strands so that the treatment strands satisfy the treatment plan when distal ends of the treatment strands are implanted into a patient to the same depth using needles that are inserted into the patient to the same depth; wherein at least two of the plurality of treatment strands have a custom distal end spacing between the distal end of each treatment strand and the adjacent treatment seed to thereby enable the treatment plan to be satisfied when the distal ends of the plurality of the treatment strands are implanted to the same depth using needles that are inserted to the same depth; and wherein the custom distal end spacings of at least two of the plurality of the treatment strands have different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A prescription method to create a plurality of treatment seed strands for treating tissue, comprising:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, said treatment plan specifying a number and spacing of a plurality of treatment seeds for each of a plurality of respective said treatment seed strands that includes a distal end and a proximal end, where the distal end is intended to be implanted prior to the proximal end; and creating the plurality of treatment stranding, including providing a custom distal end spacing on each of the plurality of treatment seed stands to thereby enable the treatment seeds located adjacent to the distal ends of the treatment seed strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal ends of the treatment seed strands, in accordance with the treatment plan, when the distal ends of the plurality of the treatment seed strands are implanted to the same deoth using needles that are inserted to the same depth; wherein the custom distal end spacings of the at least two of the plurality treatment seed strands have different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A therapeutic kit comprising:
-
a plurality of seed strands configured to be implanted into a patient to the same depth using needles that are inserted into the patient to the same depth, each having a length with a distal end; a plurality of seeds provided along the length of each of the seed strands at spaced intervals without the use of pre-fabricated spacers; and custom end spacings according to a treatment plan provided between the seed located adjacent to the distal end of each of said seed strands and the distal end of each said seed strand, said custom end spacings created without use of pre-fabricated spacers; wherein the custom end spacings cause the seeds located adjacent to the distal ends of the seed strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal ends of the seed strands, according to the treatment plan, when the distal ends of the plurality of seed strands are implanted to the same depth using needles inserted to the same depth; and wherein the custom end spacings of at least two of said plurality of seed strands have different lengths.
-
-
15. A prescription method to create a treatment strand, the method comprising:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan forte tissue to be treated, which treatment plan specifies a number and spacing of treatment seeds to be provided in the treatment plan; and creating a treatment strand that includes a custom distal end spacing that causes the treatment seed located adjacent to a distal end of the treatment strand to be properly spaced relative to the distal end of the treatment strand, according to the plan when the distal end of the treatment strand is implanted into a patient to a predefined depth using a needle that is inserted into the patient to the predefined depth.
-
-
16. A method of treating a patient with a plurality of treatment strands wherein each of said plurality of treatment stands has a plurality of spaced seeds and custom end spacings between a distal end seed in the strand and a distal end of the seed strand, the method comprising the steps of:
-
implanting a first strand at a desired location at a depth; implanting the remainder of the plurality of seed strands at a plurality of respective desired locations to the depth of the first strand and wherein the custom end spacings of at least two of said plurality of seed strands have different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A prescription method to create a treatment seed strand, the method comprising:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, said treatment plan specifying a number and spacing of a plurality of treatment seeds for each of a plurality of respective treatment seed strands; creating the plurality of treatment seed strands from a material without using pre-fabricated spacers; and providing a custom distal end spacing on each of the plurality of treatment seed strands without using pre-fabricated spacers; wherein the custom distal end spacings cause the treatment seeds located adjacent to distal ends of the treatment seed strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal ends of the treatment seed strands, according to the treatment plan, when the distal ends of the plurality of treatment seed strands are implanted to the same depth using needles inserted to the same depth; and wherein the custom distal end spacings of at least two of said plurality of seed strands have different lengths.
-
-
19. A prescription method to create a treatment seed strand, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, said treatment plan specifying a number and spacing of a plurality of treatment seeds for each of a plurality of respective treatment seed strands; and creating the plurality of treatment seed strands from a material without using pre-fabricated spacers, such that each of the plurality of treatment seed strands includes a custom distal and spacing determined by the treatment plan;
wherein the custom distal end spacings cause the treatment seeds located adjacent to distal ends of the treatment strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal end of the treatment strand;wherein the custom distal end spacing on each of the plurality of treatment seed strands allows a health care professional to implant each of the plurality of treatment seed strands to a uniform depth in the tissue to be treated; and wherein the custom distal end spacing on at least two of said plurality of treatment seed strands have different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
-
20. A method of treating a patient with a plurality of treatment strands wherein each of said plurality of treatment strands has a plurality of seeds and a custom end spacing between a distal end seed of the treatment strand and a distal end of the treatment strand, said custom end spacing set without using pre-fabricated spacers, the method comprising the steps of:
-
implanting a first treatment strand at a desired location such that the distal end of the first treatment strand is implanted at a depth; and implanting the remainder of the plurality of treatment strands at a plurality of respective desired locations with the distal ends of the plurality of the treatment strands implanted to the same depth of the first strand, wherein the distal end seed of at least two of said plurality of treatment strands are implanted to different depths due to the respective custom end spacing of the at least two treatment strands having different lengths.
-
-
21. A prescription method to create a treatment strand, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, which treatment plan specifies a number and spacing of treatment seeds to be provided in each of a plurality of treatment strands; creating the plurality of treatment strands according to said tissue treatment plan by positioning treatment seeds in a mold and introducing into the mold a material to mold the treatment seeds in place; and wherein at least two of the plurality of treatment seeds have a custom distal end spacing between the end of each treatment strand and the adjacent treatment seed; wherein the custom distal end spacings cause the treatment seeds located adjacent to distal ends of the at least two of the treatment strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal ends of the treatment strands, according to the treatment plan, when the distal ends of the at least two of the treatment strands are implanted to the same depth using needles inserted to the same depth; and wherein the custom distal end spacings of the at least two of the treatment strands have different lengths. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A therapeutic kit comprising:
-
a plurality of seed strands configured to be implanted into a patient to the same depth using needles that are inserted into the patient to the same depth, each having a length with a distal end; a plurality of seeds provided along the length of each of the seeds strands; and custom end spacings according to a treatment plan provided between the seed located adjacent to the distal end of each of said seed strands and the distal end of each said seed strand, wherein the custom end spacings cause the seeds located adjacent to the distal ends of the seed strands to be properly spaced relative to the distal ends of the seed strands, according to the treatment plan, when the distal ends of the plurality of seed strands are implanted to the same depth using needles inserted to the same depth; and wherein the custom end spacings of at least two of said plurality of seed strands have different lengths.
-
Specification