Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A container for housing at least one device which contains radioactive material therein, said device being selected from the group consisting of magazines containing a plurality of radioactive seeds and magazines containing one or more needles pre-loaded with implantable radioactive material, said container comprising: a first portion which includes a radiation shielding material;  a second portion which, when associated with the first portion, encloses the at least one device; and  a removable structure which is specially adapted for securely retaining the at least one device in said first portion to resist movement of said at least one device in said first portion during transport and use whereby the radiation shielding material of said first portion contains at least some of the radiation emitted by the radioactive material in the at least one device. 2. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said structure for retaining the at least one device in said first portion comprises a basket including at least one recess therein, each said recess being adapted for retaining at least one device therein. claim 1 3. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said structure for retaining the at least one device in the first portion includes at least one recess for receiving and retaining at least one device therein, and wherein said container further comprises a means for releasably securing the at least one device in the at least one recess. claim 1 4. A container as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said means for releasably securing the at least one device in the at least one recess is selected from a friction fit or a form fit between said at least one recess and the at least one device, a mechanical fastener, and a thread provided in said at least one recess which mates with a thread provided in the at least one device. claim 3 5. A container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the second portion of the container includes a shoulder which, when the second portion is associated with the first portion to close the container, is positioned closely adjacent to, or in abutment with, an upper surface of the at least one device in order to limit vertical movement of the at least one device within the container. claim 1 6. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a radiation shielding material. claim 1 7. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the structure for retaining the at least one device in the container is a tray provided with at least one recess therein which is adapted to receive and limit lateral movement of the at least one device in said container. claim 1 8. A container as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the at least one recess in said tray is formed to provide either a friction fit with a portion of the at least one device or a form fit with the at least one device. claim 7 9. A container as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said tray further comprises a flange which extends along at least a portion of a periphery of said tray, said first portion further comprises a shelf positioned such that said flange rests on said shelf when the tray is located within the first portion, and said second portion further comprises a mating surface which cooperates with said shelf to hold the flange and thereby secure the tray against vertical movement within the container. claim 7 10. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the device includes a radiation shielding material and the first portion of the container cooperates with the device to shield the radiation emitted by the radioactive material. claim 1 11. A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said second portion includes at least one holder adapted to receive and limit lateral movement of the at least one device and being positioned on said second portion to be in alignment with at least one recess in said first portion when said first and second portions are associated to close the container. claim 1 12. A container as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the at least one holder extends to a location closely adjacent to, or in abutment with, an, upper surface of the at least one device to thereby limit vertical movement of the at least one device when the first and second portions are associated to close the container. claim 11 13. A container for housing at least one device which contains radioactive material therein, said container comprising: a first portion which includes a radiation shielding material;  a second portion which includes a radiation shielding material; and  a holder having at least one recess for retaining the at least one device and limiting lateral movement of the at least one device, and a flange located on at least a portion of the periphery of said holder, and wherein said first and second portions of the container further comprise mating surfaces which cooperate with said flange to ensure that said holder is removably retained within the container. 14. The container of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of each recess in said holder is formed to have a friction fit with a portion of each device to thereby limit lateral movement of the at least one device in said holder. claim 13 15. The container of  claim 13 , wherein each recess in said holder is from fitted to the form of each device to thereby limit lateral movement of the at least one device in said holder. claim 13 16. The container of  claim 13 , wherein the holder comprises a tray having at least one recess adapted to receive the at least one device, and wherein the holder further comprises a film to cover the at least one recess, thereby limiting the vertical movement of the at least one device within the at least one recess of the tray. claim 13 17. The container of  claim 16 , wherein the holder comprises a basket having at least one recess for holding the at least one device; and claim 16 wherein the second portion of the container further comprises a shoulder positioned such that the basket and the shoulder cooperate to limit both vertical and lateral movement of the at least one device within the container.