Automated radioisotope seed loader system for implant needles

An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of elongated members having at least one lumen comprising:

• a cartridge containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into the cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes a single rotatable drum and wherein the plurality of radioisotope seeds and the plurality of spacers are preloaded into apertures spaced around the periphery of the rotatable drum, the cartridge having at least one aperture;
• and
• a loading station having structure defining a cartridge receiving structure and including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into each of a plurality of elongated members when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and each of the plurality of elongated members is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotope seeds and spacers within the elongated member.

An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into an elongated member having at least one lumen comprising:

• a cartridge containing at least a plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge, the cartridge having at least one aperture and containing a machine readable storage medium that stores indicia representing at least the quantity of the plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge;
• and
• a loading station having structure defining a cartridge receiving structure and including a computer processor that accesses the machine readable storage medium and utilizes the indicia stored therein to control an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into the elongated member when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and the elongated member is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds within the elongated member.

An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into an elongated member having at least one lumen comprising:

• at least one source of a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers to be selectively ejected from at least one aperture wherein the plurality of spacers comprise at least one full-length spacer and at least one partial-length spacer where the partial-length spacer has a length approximately equal to a length of a radioisotope seed;
• and
• an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture into the elongated member.

A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of elongated members having at least one lumen comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers;
• (b) using an automated motion control system to move a straight push rod to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers into each of a plurality of elongated members from at least one aperture when each of the plurality of elongated members is positioned relative to the at least one aperture so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds and spacers within the elongated member.

A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of elongated members having at least one lumen comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers;
• (b) using an automated motion control system to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers into each of a plurality of elongated members from at least one aperture when each of the plurality of elongated members is positioned relative to the at least one aperture so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotope seeds and spacers.

A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of elongated members having at least one lumen comprising:

• providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers in a cartridge having a machine readable storage medium that stores indicia representing at least the quantity and location of the plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge;
• and
• using an automated motion control system having a computer processor and a machine readable medium that stores at least a predetermined dose plan to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers from the cartridge into each of a plurality of elongated members wherein the computer processor controls the automated motion control system to selectively eject radioisotope seeds from the cartridge in response to the indicia and the predetermined dose plan.