Multicomponent vaginal cylinder system for low dose rate brachytherapy or gynecological cancers
AssigneeUniversity of Miami
InventorsAaron Wolfson, Xiaodong Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multicomponent vaginal cylinder system composed of a tandem capable of housing one or more radiation sources, one or more removable ovoid cartridges, each cartridge capable of housing a radiation source, and a vaginal cylinder structure having corresponding hollow cavities to accommodate the insertions of the tandem and the ovoid cartridges. Radiation shielding may be removably attached to portions of the vaginal cylinder structure to shield tissues from unwanted radiation. A method for using this vaginal cylinder system to treat gynecological cancers is also disclosed.
Claims29
A multicomponent vaginal cylinder system comprising:
- a tandem, said tandem configured to house at least one radiation source;
- a vaginal cylinder structure having
- a tandem slot into which said tandem is inserted so as to be slidably engaged with said vaginal cylinder structure;
- one or more hollow cartridge spaces and
- a proximal flared portion constructed and arranged to abut patient tissue;
- and one or more removable ovoid cartridges constructed and arranged to house at least one radiation source, said cartridges further constructed and arranged to be inserted into said hollow cartridge spaces of said vaginal cylinder structure.
A vaginal cylinder structure having a proximal flared portion, comprising:
- a tandem slot extending through the entire length of the vaginal cylinder structure;
- one or more removable ovoid cartridges housing at least one radiation source;
- and
- one or more hollow cartridge spaces, each housing an ovoid cartridge.
A method of treating a gynecological cancer comprising:
- inserting a tandem housing one or more radiation sources into a patient's vagina such that the tandem extends from a contact point within the patient's body exteriorly through the patient's vagina;
- inserting a vaginal cylinder structure into the vagina such that the tandem is situated within a tandem slot of the vaginal cylinder structure and the vaginal cylinder structure surrounding the tandem proximally abuts cervical tissue;
- and
- inserting one or more ovoid cartridges capable of housing one or more radiation sources into hollow cartridge spaces of the vaginal cylinder structure, the hollow cartridge spaces being adjacent to and extending in parallel to said tandem slot;
- thereby irradiating targeted tissues to treat a gynecological cancer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.