Loading patent…
AssigneeEckert & Ziegler Eurotope GmbH
InventorsEdgar Löffler, Günther Mondry, Florian Bornschein, Andrcas Müller
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to a device and a method for loading hollow implantation needles with radiation sources made of radiation source chains, and a radiation source chain for interstitial brachytherapy of tissue. It is the object of the invention to develop a device and a method for packing and feeding of radiation sources made of radiation source chains as well as a radiation source chain for interstitial brachytherapy of tissue, whereby a precisely metered quantity of connected radiation sources (seeds) that has been predefined for implantation, and optionally of spacers, can be inserted without remnants into hollow needles located inside or all designed of tissue to be treated, by simple and reliable manipulation without manual intervention. The design safely guides the contiguous seeds through hollow needles with low-friction, reduces the risk of a malfunction and allows optimal cleaning and/or sterilization, while also reliably protecting the surroundings from radiation. The problem is solved, among others, by a device which has at least one supported, drivable cylindrical magazine (10) for winding the radiation source chain (1), at least one drive system for transporting the radiation source chain (1) from the magazine (10) into a guide system (12) and feeding the radiation source chain (1) into the tip of a hollow needle (19) coupled to the guide system (12). Also provided are a device (8) for separating/cutting the radiation source chain (1) at a defined location as well as a control device for preventing damage to the sheath of the radiation sources (seeds). All essential components of the device are surrounded by a radiation-absorbing housing.
Radiation source chain for injection into a hollow needle, comprising at least one modular radiation source and at least one modular bio-resorbable spacer, held together by a continuous bio-resorbable sheath surrounding said radiation source and said spacer, wherein the radiation source chain is flexible, an end face of the spacer and an end face of the radiation source directly contacting each other in at least one location on the source chain, such that the radiation source and the spacer are capable of bending with respect to each other at said location.
A spacer for use with radiation sources to form a radiation source chain, comprising
A spacer for use with radiation sources to form a radiation source chain, comprising a discrete bio-resorbable spacer, wherein the spacer is elongated and has a throat when in both a deployed and non-deployed state with respect to a radiation source chain, the diameter of said throat being smaller than the diameter of said spacer at its ends around the whole circumference of the spacer, end faces of the spacer being structured to allow direct contact with respective end faces of a radiation source to thereby provide a direct contact location, and wherein the spacer is used with radiation sources having convex or concave end faces, the spacer being provided with a corresponding concave or convex form on its end faces, such that the radiation source and the spacer are capable of bending with respect to each other at said direct contact location.
A spacer for use with radiation sources to form a radiation source chain, comprising a discrete bio-resorbable spacer, wherein the spacer is elongated and has a throat when in both a deployed and non-deployed state with respect to a radiation source chain, the diameter of said throat being smaller than the diameter of said spacer at its ends round the whole circumference of the spacer, end faces of the spacer being structured to allow direct contact with respective end faces of a radiation source to thereby provide a direct contact location, and wherein the spacer is provided with a concave form on its end faces, such that the radiation source and the spacer are capable of bending with respect to each other at said direct contact location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.