Apparatus for automatic tracking and identification of device components

• US 8,449,440 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems UK Ltd (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems UK Ltd (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Heath, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II, Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorna, Carrie R
• Application Number:
  US12/761,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 600 1- 8, 600/103, 600/117, 600/118, 128897-899
• US Class Current: 600/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1008 Apparatus for temporary insertion of sources, e.g. afterloaders
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1007 Arrangements or means for the introduction of sources into the body

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus and method to track and identify radioactive sources are described. In one embodiment, a device includes first housing for a radioactive source having a first electronic tag, a second housing for the radioactive source having a second electronic tag, and a guide tube that couples the first housing with the second housing. The guide tube includes a third electronic tag. The first, second, and third electronic tags communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source. In one embodiment, the electronic tags may be a radio frequency identification device (RFID).

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first housing for a radioactive source;

a second housing for the radioactive source; and

a guide tube to couple the first housing with the second housing, wherein the first housing has a first electronic tag, the second housing has a second electronic tag, and the guide tube has a third electronic tag, wherein the first housing, the second housing and the guide tube use at least the three electronic tags to communicate with each other to confirm automatically a delivery path for the radioactive source, wherein communication comprises signaling information related to a first coupling of the first housing to one end of the guide tube and signaling information related to a second coupling of the second housing to a different second end of the guide tube by relaying from the second electronic tag to the first electronic tag through the third electronic tag, the information related to the second coupling of the second housing to the different second end of the guide tube.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third electronic tags comprise a radio frequency identification tag for wireless communication of information between each electronic tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the radio frequency identification tags are disposed on a surface of the first housing, second housing, and guide tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the radio frequency identification tags are embedded within the first housing, second housing, and guide tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises an afterloader and the second housing comprises an applicator to form the delivery path for the radioactive source to a patient.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the afterloader further comprises a plurality of ports to couple to the guide tube, and wherein the first electronic tag contains information related to a first port that is coupled to the guide tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the applicator further comprises a plurality of channels to receive the radioactive source, and wherein the second electronic tag contains information related to a first channel that is coupled to the guide tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller to determine that a coupling of the guide tube and the first and second housing is incorrect for a prescribed plan to use the delivery path for the radioactive source and to adjust the prescribed plan.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein communicating further comprises identifying the delivery path as an incorrect path in a prescribed plan;

selecting the delivery path for the prescribed plan after identifying the delivery path as being incorrect for the prescribed plan; and

adjusting the prescribed plan to incorporate the selected delivery path as a correct delivery path for the prescribed plan.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein signaling information comprises communicating at least two of an applicator identification number, an applicator manufacture date, an applicator usage cycle, and an applicator sterilization period.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein signaling information comprises wireless communication.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one of a radioactive wire to extend through the delivery path, and a radioactive capsule to be delivered through the delivery path.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein communication comprises:

directly signaling from the third electronic tag to the first electronic tag, information related to a first coupling of the first housing to one end of the guide tube;

directly signaling from the second electronic tag to the third electronic tag information related to a second coupling of the second housing to a different second end of the guide tube; and

relaying to the first electronic tag through the third electronic tag, the information related to a second coupling of the second housing to a different second end of the guide tube.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a first radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source afterloader;

a second radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a radioactive source applicator;

a third radio frequency identification device tag disposed on a guide tube to couple the radioactive source afterloader with the radioactive source applicator; and

a radio frequency identification device tag controller disposed on the radioactive source afterloader to coordinate communication between the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags, wherein coordinating comprises identifying signals from the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags, and wherein coordinating comprises relaying signals from the second radio frequency identification device tag to the first radio frequency identification device tag through the third radio frequency identification device tag.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives signals from the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags related to the coupling of the guide tube with the radioactive source afterloader and the radioactive source applicator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives signals from the first, second, and third radio frequency identification device tags related to audit information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the radioactive source afterloader comprises a plurality of ports to couple with the guide tube, and wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives information from the first radio frequency identification device tag related to a first port coupled to the guide tube.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the radioactive source applicator comprises a plurality of channels to couple with the guide tube, and wherein the radio frequency identification device tag controller receives information from the second radio frequency identification device tag related to a first channel coupled to the guide tube.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the afterloader further comprises one of a radioactive wire to extend through the guide tube and to the applicator, and a radioactive capsule to be delivered through the guide tube and to the applicator.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a radiation source delivery path having electronic tags disposed on each of a first guide tube, a multi-channel afterloader, and a multi-channel applicator, the electronic tags are configured to signal information to identify attachment of a first end of the first guide tube to a first port of the multi-channel afterloader and a second opposite end of the first guide tube to a first channel of the multi-channel applicator, wherein signaling information comprises relaying to the multi-channel afterloader through the electronic tag disposed on the first guide tube, the information to identify attachment of second opposite end of the first guide tube to a first channel of the multi-channel applicator.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each electronic tag comprises a radio frequency identification tag for wireless communication of information between the electronic tags.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the multi-channel afterloader comprises a radio frequency identification device tag controller to coordinate the communication between the radio frequency identification device tags in response to receiving signals from the tags related to the coupling of the first guide tube with the radioactive source afterloader and the radioactive source applicator.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of guide tubes in addition to the first guide tube;

wherein the afterloader further comprises a plurality of radioactive wires to extend through the guide tubes to the applicator, or a plurality of radioactive capsules to be delivered through the guide tubes to the applicator.