Patent ID: 7094198

Claim:
A method for manufacturing therapeutic elements, comprising the steps of: selecting a plurality of radioactive seed elements, each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has one of an indentation and a projection and the second end has one of an indentation and a projection; arranging said plurality of radioactive seed elements end-to-end with a desired spacing in between adjacent radioactive seed elements, said spacing customized to a patient's treatment prescription; introducing a liquid polymeric material into the spacing between the adjacent radioactive seed elements so that the liquid polymeric material engages said projections and said indentations of said first ends and said second ends without completely encapsulating said radioactive seed elements; and allowing said liquid polymeric material to solidify in engagement with said ends, thereby connecting said ends of said plurality of radioactive seed elements to form a treatment strand, said treatment strand customized to the patient's treatment prescription without the use of pre-fabricated spacers and said treatment strand having said plurality of radioactive seed elements connected by segments of the solidified polymeric material.