Patent ID: 8066627
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: A61N,B29C,G21G

Abstract:
1. A method for providing a treatment strand for use in brachytherapy, comprising: (a) accepting a custom prescription tissue treatment plan specifying the spacing of a plurality of treatment seeds to be provided in a treatment strand for treating tissue of a patient, wherein the spacing of adjacent, non-abutting treatment seeds is specified along a longitudinal axis of the treatment strand and is not defined by one or more spacers or seeds; (b) providing instructions for preparing the treatment strand to an automated loader based on the custom prescription tissue treatment plan; and (c) preparing the treatment strand by positioning treatment seeds in an elongate member by introducing the treatment seeds to at least one end of the elongate member using the automated loader and urging the treatment seeds along the longitudinal axis from the at least one end to a prescribed position in the elongate member based on the provided instructions; and