Method for making treatment strands

• US 7,008,368 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biocompatibles Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ideamatrix Incorporated, Worldwide Medical Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Terwilliger, Richard A., Lamoureux, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, Samuel G.
• Application Number:
  US10/716,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 600 1- 8, 600/433, 600/585, 428/68, 428/138, 428/2, 428/112, 428/218, 428/34.9, 428/35.1, 264/342.R, 403/404, 403/267, 24/67.CF, 411/183, 411/258, 411/501, 411/546, 411/82, 378/20, 128/898, 294/011, 424/1.61, 424/4.25
• US Class Current: 600/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1023 Means for creating a row of seeds, e.g. spacers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/151 Coating hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/157 Coating linked inserts, e.g. chains
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A delivery system and method for interstitial radiation therapy uses a seed strand composed of a plurality of tubular shaped, hollow radioactive seeds with a bore. The seed strand as assembled with a material provided in the bore and between the spaced seeds is axially stiff and radially flexible and is bioabsorbable in living tissue.

Claims

1. A method to create a treatment strand tissue comprising the steps of:

accepting a tissue treatment plan for the tissue to be treated, which treatment plan specifies a number of, and a spacing of, treatment seeds, said treatment seeds to be provided in the strand;

threading a material through a bore of each of the specified number of treatment seeds;

positioning the number of treatment seeds at the specified spacing; and

heating to cause the material to expand and fix the seeds at the specified spacing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said accepting step includes accepting a treatment plan that specifies a plurality of radioactive seeds and an optimal spacing between adjacent seeds and around each of two end seeds; and

wherein said threading step includes creating strands to said spacings.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said accepting step includes accepting a treatment plan created using an imaging device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said accepting step includes accepting a treatment plan created using a software program to specify intervals between adjacent seeds.