Patent ID: 8226539

Claim:
A brachytherapy system for delivery of localized irradiation to tissue near a cavity that lies beneath a surface of a body comprising: a brachytherapy device that comprises a plurality of cavity tubes configured to be inserted within the cavity and to controllably move from a collapsed state to an expanded state while within the cavity, each cavity tube having a lumen configured to house at least one radioactive source, and a center core having a lumen for supporting the plurality of cavity tubes; and an adapter configured to be removably mounted to the brachytherapy device and to facilitate the connection of an afterloader machine to each of the cavity tubes and the center core so as to permit the afterloader machine to insert at least one radiation source into the lumens of each of the cavity tubes and the center core, and to permit the afterloader machine to control the movement of the at least one radiation source within the lumens of each of the cavity tubes and the center core, the adapter having a plurality of adapter tubes, each adapter tube being corresponding to one of the plurality of cavity tubes, and an opening at a distal end of each adapter tube.