Soft x-ray emitting radioactive stent

Abstract

An implantable medical device according to the present invention comprises a body, such as a stent or a wire, and an isotope having a high neutron activation cross-section, such as 168Yb or 124Xe, ion-implanted onto the surface of the body. The use of isotopes having high neutron activation cross-sections allows a wider choice of substrates to be employed, including stainless steel, nickel, titanium, and alloys including these metals, because the time required for neutron activation of the device is reduced. A coating of high-density material may be incorporated to serve several useful purposes, including containment of undesirable beta particles from long-lived radioactive species, creation of a biologically inert surface, and enhancement of x-ray radiopacity to improve the visibility of an implanted medical device. The implantable medical devices of the present invention also comprise radioactive medical devices which include radioisotopes such as 169Yb and 125I.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.