Flexible and/or elastic brachytherapy seed or strand
DC CAFCFirst Claim
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1. A seed, for implantation into a subject, comprising:
- a marker component configured to allow for the determination of the position of the seed within a target tissue, the marker component having a length extending along a centerline of the marker component between a first end and a second end and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and
a therapeutic, prophylactic, and/or diagnostic agent, wherein the agent is disposed within the hollow interior;
wherein the length of the marker component is greater than the diameter of the hollow interior and wherein the substantially continuous wall includes at least one opening adapted to allow the agent to pass out of the hollow interior.
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Abstract
A flexible or elastic brachytherapy strand that includes an imaging marker and/or a therapeutic, diagnostic or prophylactic agent such as a drug in a biocompatible carrier that can be delivered to a subject upon implantation into the subject through the bore of a brachytherapy implantation needle has been developed. Strands can be formed as chains or continuous arrays of seeds up to 50 centimeters or more, with or without spacer material, flaccid, rigid, or flexible.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A seed, for implantation into a subject, comprising:
- a marker component configured to allow for the determination of the position of the seed within a target tissue, the marker component having a length extending along a centerline of the marker component between a first end and a second end and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and
a therapeutic, prophylactic, and/or diagnostic agent, wherein the agent is disposed within the hollow interior;
wherein the length of the marker component is greater than the diameter of the hollow interior and wherein the substantially continuous wall includes at least one opening adapted to allow the agent to pass out of the hollow interior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a marker component configured to allow for the determination of the position of the seed within a target tissue, the marker component having a length extending along a centerline of the marker component between a first end and a second end and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and
- 17. A seed comprising a marker component and a therapeutic, prophylactic, and/or diagnostic agent, the agent, marker, or both, being imageable, the marker component having a length extending along a centerline of the marker component between a first end and a second end and having a substantially continuous wall along the length, the substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior and at least partially enveloping the agent within the hollow interior, and wherein the length of the marker component is greater than an average diameter of the hollow interior and the substantially continuous wall includes at least one opening adapted to allow the agent to pass out of the hollow interior.
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20. A seed comprising:
- a marker component configured to mark the position of the seed in a target tissue, the marker component comprising a tube having open ends, and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and
a therapeutic, prophylactic, and/or diagnostic agent, wherein the agent is disposed within the hollow interior of the tube, and wherein the open ends facilitate passing of the agent out of the hollow interior of the tube to the environment surrounding the seed; and
wherein the seed further comprises a plurality of openings that extend through the wall, and wherein the plurality of openings facilitate the passing of the agent out of the hollow interior of the tube into the surrounding tissue.
- a marker component configured to mark the position of the seed in a target tissue, the marker component comprising a tube having open ends, and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and
Specification