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US 12,186,412 B2Granted
Polymer coatings for brachytherapy devices
AssigneeAlpha Tau Medical Ltd.
InventorsItzhak Kelson, Yona Keisari, Michael Schmidt, Avia Berkowitz
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a support, including an outer surface and configured for insertion into a body of a subject. The apparatus further includes multiple atoms of a radionuclide, which radioactively decays to produce a daughter radionuclide, coupled to the outer surface, and a layer of a polymer, which covers the atoms so as to protect the atoms from being washed away, yet allows diffusion of the daughter radionuclide through the layer. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a support, comprising an outer surface and configured for insertion into a body of a subject;
- multiple atoms of an alpha-emitting radionuclide, coupled to the outer surface, wherein the radionuclide radioactively decays to produce a daughter radionuclide;
- and
- a layer of a polymer having a thickness of at least 0.1 micron, wherein the layer of the polymer covers the multiple atoms of the radionuclide to protect the multiple atoms of the radionuclide from being washed away by body fluids, and further wherein the layer of the polymer allows diffusion of the daughter radionuclide through the layer of the polymer.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- coupling multiple atoms of an alpha-emitting radionuclide, which radioactively decays to produce a daughter radionuclide, to an outer surface of a support configured for insertion into a body of a subject;
- and
- subsequently to coupling the multiple atoms of the radionuclide to the outer surface, covering the multiple atoms of the radionuclide with a layer of a polymer having a thickness of at least 0.1 micron, wherein the layer of the polymer protects the multiple atoms of the radionuclide from being washed away by body fluids, and further wherein the layer of the polymer allows diffusion of the daughter radionuclide through the layer of the polymer.
A method, comprising:
- inserting a radiation source into a body of a subject, the radiation source comprising:
- a support, including an outer surface,
- multiple atoms of an alpha-emitting radionuclide coupled to the outer surface of the support, wherein the radionuclide radioactively decays to produce a daughter radionuclide, and
- a layer of a polymer having a thickness of at least 0.1 micron, wherein the layer of the polymer covers the multiple atoms of the radionuclide to protect the multiple atoms of the radionuclide from being washed away by body fluids, and further wherein the layer of the polymer allows diffusion of the daughter radionuclide through the layer of the polymer;
- and
- leaving the radiation source within the body of the subject, such that nuclei of the daughter radionuclide diffuse through the layer of the polymer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.