Nucletron B.v.

Nucletron Operations B.v.

Delft Instruments Intellectual Property B.v.

Nuvletron Operations B.v.

Arie Luite Visscher

Johann Kindlein

Edgar German Loffler

Cor Van De Wardt

Johan Henning

Jeroen Schuurman

Hendrik Steller

Wouter Peter Engels

Franciscus Antonius Maria Kuipers

Pieter Morssink

René Gerard Willem Mäkel

Dirk Binnekamp

Wilco Van Der Lugt

Wim De Jager

Martin Van Beek

Frits Van Krieken

Emil Matthijs Buijs

Adriaan Van Appeldoorn

Finn Sollen

Henk Vreeken

Jean-Michel Hannoun-Levi

Johann Henning

Ulrike Lutz

Mark Alexander Adam

Pier Bakker

Jan D Breemer

MD Jean-Michel Hannoun-Levi

René Gerard Willem MÄKEL

An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a brachytherapy source assembly including a guiding wire and a brachytherapy capsule located at a distal end of the guiding wire. The capsule includes a chamber defined by a wall for holding a radioactive source. At least a portion of an exterior surface of the wall of the capsule includes at least one of a friction-reducing coating, a wear-resistant coating, and a wear-indication coating a coating.

Brachytherapy source assembly

The invention relates to a brachytherapy applicator device for insertion in a body cavity. The applicator device comprises an applicator shaped for insertion in the body cavity; the applicator comprising connectable segments; at least one connectable part having a form following wall surface shaped to follow the body cavity, the wall surface having a multichannel groove structure, so as to guide a plurality of catheters along the grooves in the groove structure along the wall surface.

Brachytherapy applicator device for insertion in a body cavity

An afterloading device for effectuating a brachytherapy treatment, comprising a first elongated flexible transport element, arranged to maneuver a radiation source between a storage position inside the afterloading device and a treatment position outside the afterloading device, the afterloading device further comprising a second elongated flexible transport element, having at least one transducer, the second transport element being arranged to move the at least one transducer between a first transducer position and a second transducer position.

Afterloading device, and use thereof

The invention relates to an assembly for performing brachytherapy treatment of tumor tissue in a human or animal body comprising an intracavitary component and at least one guiding unit, said at least one guiding unit exhibiting a longitudinal axis and being connectable to said intracavitary component, and wherein said at least one guiding unit is provided with coupling means for coupling at least one interstitial needle-assembly for delivering treatment to said tumor tissue. The assembly has coupling/uncoupling means arranged to allow a displacement of said at least one interstitial needle-assembly in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis and to prevent a displacement of said at least one interstitial needle-assembly in a direction parallel to or a pre-defined angle to said longitudinal axis. This coupling principle allows for the preparation of the guiding unit before the patient is being hospitalized and positioned in the treatment room and will prevent the unwanted uncoupling of the interstitial needle-assembly during the actual treatment being performed, further reducing the risk of adversely affected treatment parameters (location and duration of the radiation being administered to the patient).

Components and assembly for performing brachytherapy treatment of tumour tissue in a human and animal body

A medical apparatus for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body is disclosed. The medical apparatus may include a plurality of treatment channels configured to be positioned adjacent a body tissue and a plurality of delivery channels coupled to a corresponding number of treatment channels. The medical apparatus may also include a plurality of source channels configured to receive one or more energy sources, a tracking channel configured to receive a tracking element, and a connecting element configured to connect each delivery channel with either one of the plurality of sources channels or the tracking channel.

Apparatus and method for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body

This invention relates to an assembly for performing brachytherapy treatment of tumour tissue in an animal body comprising at least a longitudinally extending intracavitary component and at least a guiding unit which extends at least partly parallel to said intracavitary component. Said guiding unit comprises at least one interstitial needle for guiding a radiation source into the tumour tissue. Said guiding unit is tubular over at least a longitudinal distance sufficient that in use a proximal end of said guiding unit is situated outside said body to be treated, while a distal end of said guiding unit is situated in situ close to or adjacent the tumour tissue.

Assembly for performing brachytherapy treatment of a tumour tissue in an animal body

The invention relates to an apparatus for effecting radiation treatment on a pre-selected anatomical portion of an animal body comprising: a group of n hollow treatment channels being inserted at one or more pre-planned positions in said pre-selected anatomical portion; a group of m delivery channels to be connected to a corresponding number m from said group of n hollow treatment channels with m being 2 or more and n being 1 or more; identifying means for identifying which one of said m delivery channels is being connected with which one of said n hollow treatment channels, said identifying means comprising a tracking element accommodated in a tracking channel, said tracking element being intended to be displaced from said tracking channel through each of said interconnected m delivery channels and m treatment channels; storage means for storing k energy emitting sources in a corresponding source-channel, with k&#x2266;m; delivery means for temporarily inserting said k energy emitting sources from their source-channels through a corresponding one of said interconnected m delivery channels and m treatment channels towards one of said pre-planned positions in said anatomical portion; coupling means for coupling at least one of said m delivery channels with a corresponding treatment channel.

A device senses the presence of the distal end of a source wire in a reference position within a guidance channel of an afterloading apparatus for positioning an energy emitting source at a desired position within an animal body for radiation therapy treatment. The source wire is driven from the reference position through a guidance channel and a catheter tube. A sensing device detects the presence of the distal end of the wire. The sensing device has a pivotal lever element mounted near the guidance channel. The lever element is in a first position, when the distal end of the source wire is not present in its reference position and the lever element is in a second position, when the distal end is present in its reference position. The presence of the distal end and the energy emitting source can be sensed at several important operational positions.

Device for sensing distal end of source wire in an afterloader

A device for effecting radiation treatment of benign or malign prostate hyperplasia. The device includes a catheter probe having an elongated body with a circumferential surface which is inserted within the urethra towards the prostate. The elongated body has a longitudinal bore extending towards at least one outlet opening present in the circumferential surface near the proximal end. A catheter tube is inserted with a proximal sharp end through the longitudinal bore of the elongated body, with an outlet opening and through the urethral wall towards a desired location within the prostate. A pre-planned amount of radiation is delivered via the catheter tube at a location within the prostate for effecting the radiation treatment. The urethral insertion probe allows a quick and accurate positioning of the catheter probe and the catheter tube relative to the prostate without discomforting the patient. The catheter probe is movably accommodated within the urethral probe.

Urethral prove device for effecting radiation treatment

A device for implanting radioactive seeds and non-radioactive spacers in a desired configuration in an animal body for effecting radiation therapy. An elongated hollow needle is inserted in the body. A pushing element implants the row of seeds and spacers though the hollow needle towards the desired location. A tube shaped element receives the row of seeds and spacers. A lube shaped sleeve having open ends is used to insert the tube shaped element through the needle and toward the location. The pushing elements pushes the row of seeds and spacers into the desired location while still being carried in the tube shaped element.

Device for implanting a row of radioactive seeds and non-radioactive spacers in an animal body

The invention relates to an after loader apparatus for treatment of tumours in an animal body comprising a housing with at least one exchangeable radiation source connected to a first end of a transport wire, which wire is connected with its other end to transport means for advancing said transport wire and said radiation source through a guide tube to and from a tumour in said body, where at least the radiation source and the transport wire are mounted in an exchangeable radiation shielded after loader cartridge, which cartridge can be placed in a suitable receptable opening present in said housing. It is an object of the invention to provide an after loader apparatus wherein in a more safe manner to the environment a cartridge containing a radioactive source can be replaced by another cartridge containing a new radioactive source and according to the invention the after loader apparatus is characterized in that, for exchanging said radiation source after use an exchanging device is present for, in a first step, removing the cartridge with the used radiation source from said receptable opening and, in a second step, inserting a further cartridge containing a new radiation source in said receptable opening. The invention relates furthermore to a device for exchanging an after loader cartridge in an after loader apparatus according to the invention.

After loader apparatus as well as a device for exchanging an after loader cartridge

An arranged row of radioactive seeds and non-radioactive spacers with a predetermined pitch can be provided with physical coherence by applying connectors between the separate seeds and spacers. In a first embodiment the connectors are elongated with introversions at both ends, in a second embodiment a connector also forms a spacer and is provided at one end with an introversion and at another end with a projection in the form of a seed.

Row of radioactive seeds and non-radioactive spacers and connector therefore

A drive device in a medical device for driving a wire through a guide tube from a first position with an end of the wire outside an animal body to a second position in which the end is inside the animal body. The drive device comprises first and second elements rotatable relative to each other. The first and second elements each have contact surfaces, that in each rotational position of the first and second elements relative to each other are in contact with each other in a contact area along a common contact plane. A storage space going about the axis is provided for the wire in the first element. The storage space is open along a length of it to the contact surface of the first element. The second element comprises a channel for the wire and is open to the contact plane.

Wire drive in a medical device

A modular device for implanting radioactive seeds in an animal body through needles implanted in the body. Trains of radioactive seeds and non-radioactive spacers are assembled in an assembly unit. The assembly unit comprises a device for determining activity of the seeds with an accuracy that allows distinguishing between different activities within tolerance ranges of specified nominal activities for the seeds. After implantation of the seeds in the body a pre-plan may be recalculated taking into consideration actual activities of seeds implanted. Not correctly composed trains may be disposed of. A post-plan may be determined based upon actually measured activities of implanted seeds.

Growing community of inventors

Driebergen, Netherlands

Arie Luite Visscher