X-ray emitting interstitial implants
AssigneeTheragenics Corporation
InventorJohn L. Carden, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Safe, isotopically pure Pd-103-containing seeds of high apparent activity are formed by bombarding an Rh target in a cyclotron with high energy particles to obtain Rh containing carrier-free Pd-103, separating therefrom the carrier-free Pd-103, adding a small amount of Pd to the carrier-free Pd-103, electroplating said Pd-103/Pd admixture to a pellet(s) of electroconductive material and encapsulating the pellet(s) within a bicompatible container or shell.
Claims8
A seed for implantation into a tumor within a living body to emit X-ray radiation thereto comprising at least one pellet of an electroconductive support substantially non-absorbing of X-rays, having electroplated thereon a layer of a palladium composition consisting of carrier-free palladium 103 having added thereto palladium metal in an amount sufficient to promote said electroplating, said at least one electroplated pellet containing Pd-103 in an amount sufficient to provide a radiation level measured as apparent mCi of greater than 0.5, and a shell of a bicompatible material encapsulating said at least one electroplated pellet, said biocompatible material being penetrable by X-rays in the 20-23 kev range.
A method of preparing a safe seed for implantation into a tumor within a living body to emit x-ray radiation said seed having a predetermined radiation level measured as apparent mCi comprising irradiating and Rh metal target in a charged particle accelerator under conditions that produce carrier-free Pd-103 in said Rh metal, recovering carrier-free Pd-103 from Rh metal, forming a carrier-free Pd-103/palladium admixture by adding palladium metal to said carrier-free Pd-103 in a small amount sufficient to promote electroplating of said mixture and to adjust its specific activity, removing, if necessary, non-palladium isotopes from said admixture, electroplating a layer of said palladium 103/palladium admixture having a known specific activity and self absorption onto at least one pellet of an electroconductive material substantially non-absorbing of X-rays, the amount of Pd-103 in said layer being sufficient to provide a radiation level measured as apparent mCi of greater than 0.5, and encapsulating said at least one pellet within a shell of a bicompatible material that is penetrable by X-rays in the 20-23 kev range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.