Patent ID: 9352172
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: A61B,A61M,A61N

Claim Text:
1. A method for facilitating brachytherapy treatment comprising the steps of: positioning a first device such that a distal end of the first device is disposed in a resected cavity of a patient, the first device including a shaft in which is disposed an elongated guide member such that positioning the first device simultaneously positions the elongated guide member, the elongated guide member being configured in which all but a distal end of the elongated guide member is configured to slide relative to the shaft within an interior of the first device, wherein the elongated guide member includes a guide wire and a non-inflatable anchor member at a distal end of the elongated guide member, wherein the non-inflatable anchor member has a curvature and wherein a surface tip of the shaft has an outer curvature that matches the non-inflatable anchor member curvature, and wherein the non-inflatable anchor member curvature is disposed against the surface tip outer curvature when loaded into the first device; maintaining the non-inflatable anchor member without use of an inflatable device in a fixed position relative to tissue in the resected cavity; removing the first device from the resected cavity without removing the elongated guide member such that the fixed position of a distal end of the elongated guide member in the resected cavity is maintained relative to the resected cavity; and introducing the elongated guide member into an opening spanning a length of a brachytherapy catheter and using the elongated guide member to guide the brachytherapy catheter to the resected cavity by moving the brachytherapy catheter relative to the elongated guide member until the brachytherapy catheter envelops all but the distal end of the elongated guide member.