Patent ID: 8337383

Claim:
A torque-limiting seed-cartridge barrel assembler for a brachytherapy seed cartridge having a cartridge cap and a seed magazine containing a number of brachytherapy seeds, said assembler comprising: a rotatable cartridge-receiving block comprising an elongate block body defining a cartridge aperture and an elongate cartridge receptacle extending about the longitudinal axis of said body, said cartridge receptacle being in fluid communication with said cartridge aperture, said cartridge aperture and receptacle sized and shaped to receive a portion of the seed magazine therein so as to allow the threaded assembly of the cartridge cap to the magazine and said cartridge body able to rotate about an axis of rotation when said cartridge cap has been assembled to the magazine, wherein said cartridge receptacle is further defined by a transversely-extending planar step surface and four planar surfaces adjacent thereto and descending away from said cartridge aperture, and a housing comprising an elongate housing defining a block cavity into which said block body is received, said housing defining a housing aperture, wherein the portion of said block body defining said cartridge aperture is coextensive with said housing aperture so as to prevent a loose brachytherapy seed from passing between said housing and said block body.