Apparatus and method for dose administration in brachytherapy
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
a holder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan;
a display for providing information for the dose according to the treatment plan;
wherein the treatment plan comprises a plurality of radioactive seeds;
wherein the housing comprises all of the plurality of radioactive seeds of the treatment plan;
wherein the dose of radioactive seeds comprises a plurality of component doses;
wherein each component dose comprises a needle load of one or more of the radioactive seeds;
wherein the dose is ejected from the holder in the housing into one or more needles.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for administering a dose in brachytherapy procedures having a handheld housing containing a dose of radioactive seeds adapted for use in a brachytherapy treatment and a display for observing information about the dose and viewing the dose or components of the dose.
71 Citations
99 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a holder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan; a display for providing information for the dose according to the treatment plan; wherein the treatment plan comprises a plurality of radioactive seeds; wherein the housing comprises all of the plurality of radioactive seeds of the treatment plan; wherein the dose of radioactive seeds comprises a plurality of component doses; wherein each component dose comprises a needle load of one or more of the radioactive seeds; wherein the dose is ejected from the holder in the housing into one or more needles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a holder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan; and wherein the treatment plan comprises a plurality of radioactive seeds; wherein the housing comprises all of the plurality of radioactive seeds of the treatment plan; wherein the dose is ejected from the housing; wherein the housing includes a sterilization passageway that allows sterilant to enter the housing for sterilization of the dose within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method, comprising the steps of:
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arranging within a housing a dose for distribution in tissue in an order corresponding to a treatment plan, wherein the order corresponds to spatial coordinates of the dose that corresponds to the treatment plan; administering the dose in the tissue from the housing in accordance with the treatment plan; and indicating on the housing spatial coordinates for the dose according to the treatment plan. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method, comprising the steps of:
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arranging a plurality of component doses according to an order of the treatment plan; observing information about each of the plurality of component doses prior to ejection from the housing; and loading a plurality of needles with the dose from the housing according to the treatment plan; wherein the step of loading the plurality of needles with the dose from the housing according to the treatment plan comprises the steps of; aligning the dose with a gated aperture in the housing; moving the dose into the housing; and automatically sealing the gated aperture after the dose is loaded in the housing. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 99)
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63. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a holder in the housing that receives a dose for a treatment positioned in an order corresponding to a treatment plan; a display on the housing and associated with the dose; wherein the dose is ejected from the housing; wherein the display comprises a first subcomponent display and a second subcomponent display; wherein the first subcomponent display provides information for the dose according to the treatment plan; wherein the second subcomponent display allows a user to indirectly view the dose without radioactive exposure. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing configured to be handheld in either a left or right hand; a holder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan; wherein the treatment plan comprises a plurality of radioactive seeds; wherein the housing comprises all of the plurality of radioactive seeds of the treatment plan; wherein the ejection of the dose from the housing is effected according to the treatment plan. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86)
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87. An apparatus, comprising:
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means for containing within a housing a plurality of component doses of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan comprises a plurality of radioactive seeds, wherein the housing comprises all of the plurality of radioactive seeds of the treatment plan; means for displaying information for the dose according to the treatment plan and the one of the plurality of component doses prior to ejecting the one of the plurality of doses from the housing; and means for ejecting one of the plurality of component doses from the housing. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a holder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds and adapted for use in a brachytherapy treatment plan; wherein the holder comprises a cylinder having a plurality of grooves; wherein the dose is ejected from the housing; wherein the housing comprises a sterilization passageway that allows sterilant to enter the housing for sterilization of the dose within the housing.
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95. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a cylinder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan, the dose comprising a plurality of component doses including at least one of discrete radioactive seeds and a continuous strand of radioactive seeds; the cylinder having a grooves in an outer surface thereof receive the dose; a sleeve surrounding the cylinder, the sleeve restraining the dose in the grooves of the cylinder; a first gate at a first end of the cylinder and a second gate at a second end of the cylinder opposed from the first end of the cylinder, the first gate and the second gate restraining the dose within the grooves; a terminating member connected to the first end of the housing, the terminating member having a channel aligned selectively with each groove in the cylinder and adapted to be coupled to at least one needle; a first display component that provides spatial information for each of the plurality of component doses according to the treatment plan; a second display component that discloses a one of the component doses next to be ejected from the housing.
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96. An apparatus, comprising:
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a housing; a cylinder in the housing that contains a dose of radioactive seeds corresponding to a treatment plan, the dose comprising a plurality of component doses including at least one of discrete radioactive seeds and a continuous strand of radioactive seeds; the cylinder having grooves in an outer surface thereof that receive the dose; a sleeve surrounding the cylinder, the sleeve retraining the dose in the grooves of the cylinder; a first gate at a first end of the cylinder and a second gate a second end of the cylinder opposed from the first end of the cylinder, the first gate and the second gate retraining the dose within the grooves; a terminating member connected to the first end of the housing, the terminating member having a channel aligned selectively with each groove in the cylinder and adapted to be coupled to at least one needle; a wheel for rotating the cylinder to effect selective alignment of a selected one of the grooves with the channel in the terminating member; a barrel connected to the wheel and the cylinder, the barrel having information associated with each of the plurality of component doses; a first display component that provides information about each of the plurality of component doses; a second display component that discloses a one of the component doses next to be ejected from the housing; and a lock member coupled to the wheel that secures the cylinder in a secured position for each of the plurality of component doses in association with the first display component and the second display component.
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97. A method, comprising the steps of:
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arranging in a housing a dose of radioactive seeds according to a treatment plan; and loading a plurality of needles with the dose from the housing according to the treatment plan; arranging a plurality of component doses according to an order of the treatment plan; and observing information about each of the plurality of component doses prior to ejection from the housing; engaging a hub of one of the plurality of needles to move the one of the plurality of needles in a coupled relationship with the housing; and moving a stylus through a gate and through the housing to move the dose into a needle of the plurality of needles; and automatically sealing the gate upon withdrawal of the stylus ejecting a portion of the dose into the one of the plurality of needles.
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98. A method, comprising the steps of:
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moving, according to a treatment plan, a dose of radioactive seeds into a housing via a gated aperture, the dose including radioactive seeds and spacers in continuous strands; automatically sealing the gated aperture after the dose is loaded in the housing; assaying the radioactivity of at least one of the radioactive seeds to verify a correct arrangement of the dose in the housing according to the treatment plan; and visually inspecting the dose via a display in the housing to verify a correct arrangement of the dose in the housing according to the treatment plan.
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Specification