Patent ID: 6994688

Claim:
A catheter useful for radiation treatment of a body which comprises: an elongate, flexible catheter body having a proximal section and a distal section; a radioactive source housed within a cavity in the distal section of the catheter body, the radioactive source providing radiation in an amount of from about 0.5 microcuries to about 300 curies per centimeter length of the radioactive portion of the catheter body; at least a portion of the catheter body being removable to provide access to the cavity wherein the radioactive source is housed, and wherein the removable portion of the catheter body is a catheter attachment which encloses the cavity within which the radioactive source is housed, and the catheter attachment includes a plug which may be removed to provide access to the interior of said cavity; and wherein the catheter body is sized and has sufficient strength and flexibility to navigate a portion of a body so that the radioactive source can be positioned at a desired location for treatment.