Patent ID: 8133166

Claim:
An apparatus for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body comprising: a group of n treatment channels configured to be inserted at one or more pre-planned positions in the pre-selected anatomical portion; a group of m delivery channels that are interconnected with a corresponding number m of the group of n treatment channels with m being 2 or more and n being 3 or more; an identifying element configured to identify which one of the group of m delivery channels is connected with which one of the group of n treatment channels, the identifying element including a tracking element disposed in a tracking channel, wherein the tracking element is configured to be displaced from the tracking channel through each of the interconnected m delivery channels and m treatment channels; a storage element configured to store one of a plurality of k energy emitting sources in a respective one of a plurality of source-channels, wherein k≦m; at least one drive element configured to temporarily insert a respective one of the plurality of k energy emitting sources from a corresponding one of the plurality of source-channels through a corresponding one of the interconnected m delivery channels and m treatment channels towards one of the pre-planned positions in the pre-selected anatomical portion; an arm configured to couple at least one of the group of m delivery channels with at least one of the group of n treatment channels, wherein the arm includes a coupling element having an arrangement in which one of the plurality of k energy emitting sources and the tracking element can be inserted alternatively or simultaneously through the m delivery channels towards the interconnected m treatment channels and m delivery channels after the m delivery channels and m treatment channels have been checked by the identifying element.