Patent ID: 7517310

Claim:
A method of treating a body cavity of a patient comprising: a. providing a tissue irradiation device having i. an elongated shaft with a treatment location in a distal portion of the device, an longitudinal axis, and an annular arcuate shaped inner lumen extending within the shaft to the treatment location which only partially encircles the longitudinal axis, ii. a radiation source configured to be disposed or is disposed in the treatment location and iii. an arcuate shaped radiation shielding component which is disposed within the arcuate shaped lumen and which partially encircles or is configured to partially encircle the treatment location to shield tissue surrounding in part the cavity from radiation emitted from the radiation source; b. inserting the device into a patient's body and advancing the device therein until the distal portion of the device with the treatment location is disposed the body cavity; and c. adjusting the position of the radiation shielding component within the body cavity to allow irradiation of a first tissue portion surrounding in part the body cavity from the radiation source not shielded by the radiation shielding component and to shield a second tissue portion surrounding in part the body cavity from radiation emitted from the radiation source.