Apparatus for Transporting and Positioning a Capsule in which a Radioactive Source is Present

An apparatus for transporting and positioning multiple capsules, in which a radioactive source is present, from a screened safe into an applicator to be temporarily placed in the a body of tile patient, which apparatus is provided with:

• multiple capsules each connected with one end of a respective transport wire, which is slidable by a drive motor;
• a safe for storage of the capsules and provided with channels for taking moving the capsule into and out of the safe by means of the transport wires;
• at least one applicator;
• a number of transport tubes corresponding with the number of applicators, which each have a first end connected to an applicator;
• a switch-connecting plate with multiple passages, wherein each second end of each transport tube is connected to a passage;
• a switch with a passageway which can successively be brought into a position in line with one of the passages in the switch-connecting plate or connect to a first end of a tube whose other end connects to the channel through the safe so that a capsule on a transport wire can be displaced by a drive motor through the transport tube connecting to the passage selected by the position of said switch;
• at least one further switch with a passageway, which can be brought in line with another one of the passages in the switch-connecting plate, just like the passageway of the first switch;
• actuators for actuating said switches and said transport wires, said passage way of said further switch connects to a first end of a further tube whose other end connects to a further channel through the safe, so that a further capsule on a further transport wire can be displaced by a further drive motor through the transport tube connecting to the passage selected by the position of the further switch;
• said actuators being programmable so that, from the safe, via the tube, the passageway, a passage determined by the position of the switch and a transport tube connected thereto, said capsules can be introduced into an applicator and can be withdrawn into the safe again, in a manner independent of other capsules with regard to selection of the applicator as well as the location and the residence time of the capsule in the selected applicator.

A method of planning an operation of an apparatus, wherein a number of capsules is introduced or withdrawn from a safe into at least one applicator from the safe, via a tube, a passageway, a passage determined by a switch and a transport tube connected thereto, said method comprising:

• determining for each location a desired radiation dose to be received;
• and selecting for each of said locations a number of capsules each having a predetermined dose rate;
• determining a radiation schedule for each of said number of capsules;
• and
• calculating for each of said number of capsules a corresponding residence time in each of said locations;
• and
• determining a position of the switch and at least a further switch, so as to introduce said capsules into the applicator in a manner independent of other capsules with regard to selection of the applicator as well as the location and the residence time of the capsule in the selected applicator.