Patent ID: 7885382

Claim:
A method for applying therapeutic radiation to living tissue using a balloon catheter, comprising: inserting into a cavity of the living tissue, through an entry point on a patient, a catheter including an inflatable balloon having a balloon skin doped with a low concentration of contrast medium that will partially block radiation from an external imaging device, and including a guide in the balloon, inflating the balloon in the cavity, performing an external imaging of the balloon to verify the location of the balloon within the cavity such that the imaging passes radiation tangentially through edges of the balloon and thus reveals essentially only an outline of the balloon as a thin peripheral curving line via the contrast medium in the balloon skin, the verifying of balloon placement being performed by detecting the thin peripheral curving outline of the balloon, adjusting the position of the balloon by reference to the external image if necessary, positioning a brachytherapy device at a desired position within the balloon, via the guide of the catheter, and administering a desired radiation dose from the brachytherapy device in accordance with a dose prescription.