A brachytherapy ring applicator comprising: a tandem having a connector on a proximal end of the tandem and a treatment end on a distal end of the tandem, the treatment end being configured to be arranged in proximity to the area to be treated by a radioactive source; a ring colpostat including a ring member on a distal end of the ring colpostat, the ring member being configured to position the treatment end of the tandem; and a bracket assembly configured to lock to both a shaft of the tandem and to a shaft of the ring colpostat such that the distal end of the tandem is firmly maintained in a fixed position relative to the distal end of the ring colpostat, the bracket assembly further being completely separable from the shaft of the tandem and the shaft of the ring colpostat when in an unlocked position, wherein the bracket assembly includes a connector bracket having a first channel and a second channel, the first channel being configured to be locked to a connecting portion of the shaft of the tandem and the second channel being configured to be locked to a connecting portion of the shaft of the ring colpostat, and wherein the bracket assembly includes a separable threaded locking screw and a corresponding threaded locking portion formed in the connector bracket, the corresponding threaded locking portion being configured to receive the separable threaded locking screw, characterized in that said bracket assembly is sufficiently rigid or self-supporting and the shafts of each of said tandem and said colpostat are sufficiently rigid or self-supporting such that, when the tandem and the ring colpostat are locked to the bracket assembly, the tandem, from a location of attachment of the shaft of the tandem to the bracket assembly to the distal end of the tandem, and the colpostat, from the location of attachment of the shaft of the colpostat to the bracket assembly to the distal end of the colpostat, are each entirely self-supporting, wherein the threaded locking portion has an axis arranged at an angle (α) offset from perpendicular to a plane in which the shaft of the tandem and the shaft of the ring colpostat extend, such that the threaded locking screw contributes a locking force to maintain the connecting portion of shaft of the tandem within the first channel, wherein the first channel is an open channel. a tandem having a connector on a proximal end of the tandem and a treatment end on a distal end of the tandem, the treatment end being configured to be arranged in proximity to the area to be treated by a radioactive source; a ring colpostat including a ring member on a distal end of the ring colpostat, the ring member being configured to position the treatment end of the tandem; and a bracket assembly configured to lock to both a shaft of the tandem and to a shaft of the ring colpostat such that the distal end of the tandem is firmly maintained in a fixed position relative to the distal end of the ring colpostat, the bracket assembly further being completely separable from the shaft of the tandem and the shaft of the ring colpostat when in an unlocked position, wherein the bracket assembly includes a connector bracket having a first channel and a second channel, the first channel being configured to be locked to a connecting portion of the shaft of the tandem and the second channel being configured to be locked to a connecting portion of the shaft of the ring colpostat, and wherein the bracket assembly includes a separable threaded locking screw and a corresponding threaded locking portion formed in the connector bracket, the corresponding threaded locking portion being configured to receive the separable threaded locking screw, characterized in that said bracket assembly is sufficiently rigid or self-supporting and the shafts of each of said tandem and said colpostat are sufficiently rigid or self-supporting such that, when the tandem and the ring colpostat are locked to the bracket assembly, the tandem, from a location of attachment of the shaft of the tandem to the bracket assembly to the distal end of the tandem, and the colpostat, from the location of attachment of the shaft of the colpostat to the bracket assembly to the distal end of the colpostat, are each entirely self-supporting, wherein the threaded locking portion has an axis arranged at an angle (α) offset from perpendicular to a plane in which the shaft of the tandem and the shaft of the ring colpostat extend, such that the threaded locking screw contributes a locking force to maintain the connecting portion of shaft of the tandem within the first channel, wherein the first channel is an open channel.