Patent ID: 7922645

Claim:
A method for accessing a site in a patient's body in need of treatment, wherein access to the site in need of treatment is obstructed by one or more obstructions selected from the group consisting of bones, tissue, organs, and glands, comprising a) providing an apparatus comprising: an elongated sleeve comprising a distal end and a proximal end; and a leading member slidable within the elongated sleeve, wherein the leading member comprises a distal segment, wherein at least a portion of the distal segment is slidable beyond the distal end of the elongated sleeve; wherein the distal segment of the leading member comprises a shape memory material; and wherein the shape memory material has a preformed shape trained into it such that it assumes the preformed shape upon being slid beyond the distal end of the elongated sleeve; b) bypassing the obstruction and moving the apparatus to a sufficient depth within the patient proximate to the site in need of treatment; c) extending at least a portion of the distal segment beyond the distal end of the elongated sleeve to the site in need of treatment, and d) guiding one or more radioactive or non-radioactive seeds through at least a portion of the apparatus to the site in need of treatment.