Patent ID: 6561967
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
An interstitial brachytherapy device, comprising:an applicator; said applicator including an elongate barrel having a trailing end and a leading end; an adaptor mounted to said leading end of said elongate barrel, said adaptor enabling connection of a needle in leading relation to said elongate barrel; an elongate throughbore formed in said elongate barrel, said elongate throughbore extending from said trailing end of said elongate barrel to said adaptor so that said elongate throughbore is in open communication with a lumen of said needle; a manually-operated, elongate plunger rod adapted to be slidingly introduced into said elongate throughbore from a trailing end thereof; a plurality of cartridge storage slots formed in said elongate barrel, said cartridge storage slots being longitudinally spaced apart from one another; a plurality of cartridges adapted to be releasably coupled to said elongate barrel, each of said cartridges having a handle, an elongate neck integral with said handle, a hollow housing adapted to contain a plurality of radioactive seeds vertically stacked therewithin, a seed discharge chamber formed in a leading end of said housing, a biasing means that interconnects said housing and said handle and that urges a leading end of said neck to bear against a trailing radioactive seed in said stack of radioactive seeds, thereby urging a leading radioactive seed into said seed discharge chamber; each of said cartridge storage slots being formed in said elongate barrel in non-intersecting relation to said elongate throughbore; an operational slot formed in said elongate barrel near said leading end thereof; said operational slot adapted to receive a preselected cartridge therein; said seed discharge chamber of said preselected cartridge being in intersecting relation with said elongate throughbore when said preselected cartridge is positioned within said operational slot; whereby a seed is discharged from said seed discharge chamber and introduced into said lumen of said needle when said elongate plunger rod is advanced from said trailing end to said leading end of said elongate throughbore; whereby when all radioactive seeds have been discharged from said preselected cartridge, a second preselected cartridge is selected from said plurality of cartridges in said cartridge storage slots and introduced into said operational slot so that its seed discharge chamber is disposed in intersecting relation with said elongate throughbore.