Carrier-free 103Pd brachytherapy seeds

• US 7,988,612 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medi-Physics Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Medi-Physics Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Romanoff, Scott, Drobnik, Michael, Dahl, Pamela S., Drobnik, Christopher, Bolenbaugh, Dave, Pahigianis, Irene
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II; Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins; Christine D
• Application Number:
  US10/333,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,669 Days
• Field of Search: 600 1- 8, 424/1.11, 424/1.29, 424/1.33, 424/1.37, 424/1.53, 424/1.61, 424/1.65, 424/1.25, 428/457, 428/655, 428/680, 428/686, 428/926, 428/935, 428/936, 427/5, 427/304, 427/305, 427/405, 427/437, 205/80, 205/170, 205/181, 205/188, 205/191, 205/197, 205/261, 604/509, 106/1.12, 106/1.13, 106/1.15, 106/1.18, 106/1.21, 106/1.26, 106/1.27, 606/7, 128897-899
• US Class Current: 600/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 51/1282 Devices used in vivo and carrying the radioactive therapeutic or diagnostic agent, therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic kits, stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1024 Seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1027 Interstitial radiation therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 4/08 specially adapted for medical application radiation therapy using radioactive sources A61N5/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12625 Free carbon containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12875 Platinum group metal-base component

Abstract

A brachytherapy seed comprising (a) carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd isotope, (b) a substrate for the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd radioisotope, and (c) a casing for encapsulating the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate, is disclosed.

Claims

1. A brachytherapy seed which comprises:

(a) a substrate having a surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium,

(b) carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd disposed on said surface of said substrate, wherein the ¹⁰³Pd disposed on said surface of said substrate does not include non-radioactive palladium metal or other palladium isotopes added, or other non-radioactive metals, as a carrier, so as to provide a carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate, wherein said surface is free of non-radioactive palladium and other metals; and

(c) a biocompatible casing for encapsulating the carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate.

2. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium is metallic.

3. The brachytherapy seed of claim 2, wherein the metallic surface comprises nickel, copper, or a mixture thereof.

4. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a radiopaque metal.

5. The brachytherapy seed of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises a radiopaque metal core surrounded by a sheath of a radiotransparent metal.

6. The brachytherapy seed of claim 5, wherein the radiopaque metal core comprises silver, gold, platinum, iridium, palladium, thallium, copper, iron or lead or a mixture thereof.

7. The brachytherapy seed of claim 5, wherein the radiotransparent metal comprises aluminium.

8. The brachytherapy seed of claim 7, wherein the radiopaque core comprises silver.

9. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a radiotransparent core.

10. The brachytherapy seed of claim 9, wherein the radiotransparent core comprises graphite, a polymer, or a metal having a low atomic number.

11. The brachytherapy seed of claim 10, wherein the metal having a low atomic number is aluminium.

12. The brachytherapy seed of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible casing comprises stainless steel, titanium, a titanium alloy, tantalum, a nickel alloy, a copper alloy, or an aluminium alloy.

13. A method of treating a disease or condition responsive to brachytherapy, which comprises placing one or more brachytherapy seeds of claim 1 at a target location within an individual, and allowing the seeds to remain at the target location for a sufficient time to deliver a therapeutically effective radiation dose.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the seeds are placed within the individual temporarily.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the seeds are placed within the individual permanently.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of:

head cancer, neck cancer, melanoma, brain cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, proliferative disease, arthritis, urethral stricture, and fibroid uterine tumor.

17. A method of preparing a carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd-laden substrate for a brachytherapy seed which comprises:

immersing a substrate having a surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium into an electroless bath comprising carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd for a sufficient time to deposit a pre-selected amount of carrier-free ¹⁰³Pd onto the surface suitable for the electroless deposition of palladium of said substrate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electroless bath further comprises an acid, a reducing agent, and optionally at least one of a complexing agent and a buffer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the electroless bath further comprises a base, a reducing agent, and optionally at least one of a complexing agent and a buffer.