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B.v. Optische Industrie 'De Oude Delft'

Eric Van't Hooft

Libbe Van Zwol

A guide tube having at least one channel for guiding a cable has an elongated cylindrical sheath body incorporating at least two pull wires, located in the same diametrical plane of the guide tube. The sheath body may be composed of several parts, and a number of channels may be formed with a sheath body, which channels may or may not be separable from each other.

Guide tube having at least one channel for guiding a cable

A method and apparatus for connecting a first end part of a cable to a drive unit, this cable carrying at its second end part an element, such as a source of radiation, which can be moved through a guide tube, wherein there are provided at least two first end parts with a different mechanical identification in the form of recesses, thickenings, projections or the like, and there being provided a number of different connector elements, corresponding to the number of different end parts, the connector elements each having locking means which can only cooperate with an end part provided with a particular mechanical identification, whilst a cable with a first end part provided with a mechanical identification associated with the desired element to be displaced is chosen and is inserted into a matching connector element, whereafter the first end part is locked in the relevant connector element by means of the locking means.

Apparatus for connecting a first end part of a cable to a drive unit

A method and apparatus for effecting radiation therapy by placing at least one guide tube through an orifice in an animal body and disposing the end portion of the guide tube near the site of intended therapy. The other end of the guide tube is connected to a channel in a shielding block. A high dose radiation source assembly is moved from the channel to the end portion and positioned a plurality of times at each of a series of preselected positions lying in the end portion to effect a plurality of pulsed radiations. The effects of low dose radiation can be duplicated by the high dose radiation source, the radiation field can be patterned, and when the repeated pulsed radiations are within repair times of healthy cells, cancer cells are destroyed and healthy cells survive.

Method and apparatus for effecting radioactive therapy in an animal body

A first radioactive source assembly disposed in a first source channel and a guide tube connected to the source channel and having a second end which is disposable in the animal body. A first source assembly transport thread connects the first source assembly to a first source assembly drive for driving the first source assembly to the second end of the guide tube. At least one further radioactive source assembly is disposed in a further source channel, a connector tube connects the further source channel and a connector disposed in the guide tube. A juncture is formed at the connector. A further source assembly transport thread is attached to the further source assembly and to a further source assembly drive for driving the further source assembly towards said second end of the said guide tube. The first source assembly and the further source assembly are alternatingly drivable toward the second end of the guide tube. A detector detects the presence of either source assembly in the juncture whereby radiation therapy may be accurately effected by either the first source assembly or the further source assembly.

The adaptor for connecting a guide member in a remote after-loading apparatus for radiotherapy is provided. The adaptor comprises an outer barrel having an opened end, a connector end and a centrally extending aperture. A sleeve passes through the aperture of the barrel such that at least a first end of the sleeve is contained within the barrel. An elongated gripping means is disposed through the sleeve and extends beyond the ends of the sleeve. The gripping means has a gripping end and a receiving end, a gripping body extending between the ends, and a flange disposed on the gripping end with the diameter of the flange being greater than the diameter of the sleeve. A tapered outer surface extends from the flange to a distant portion of the gripping body. A uniform diameter tube bore is disposed through the gripping means and at least two slots pass through the flange and at least a portion of the gripping body. Those slots form at least two opposed gripping portions which are inwardly compressible when the flange and the gripping portions are in contact with the first end of the sleeve, so as to form a reduced diameter of the tube bore and thereby a closed position of the gripping portions. The gripping portions are sufficiently resilient so that when the flange and the gripping portions are disposed from the first end of the sleeve, the gripping portions form at least the same diameter as the tube bore and thereby an open position. Spring means are disposed between the gripping means in the sleeve for urging the flange of the gripping means toward the second end of the sleeve.

Adaptor for remote after-loading apparatus for radiotherapy

A method and an apparatus for treating a part of the body of a patient with radioactive material, in which at least one hollow needle is introduced into the part of the body concerned, said needle being capable of subsequently receiving a tube containing selectively positioned radioactive material, previously arranged therein. Use is made of a cart comprising at least one tube containing selectively positioned radioactive material, an intermediate container for shielding the tube or tubes, and apparatus for transporting the said tube with radioactive material into and out of the shielding means. According to the present invention, each implant needle is connected to the cart by means of a patient transfer tube with a patient connector and a machine connector connected with a plurality of external tubes, from which cart tubes are selectively inserted into the needle or needles already introduced by means of one or more transport threads movable in the patient transfer tubes.

Method and an apparatus for treating a part of the body with radioactive

There is provided an apparatus for effecting radioactive therapy in an animal body. A radioactive source assembly is disposed in a source channel, and a test assembly is disposed in a test channel. A source connecting tube is attached to the source channel and to a connector, and a test connecting tube is attached to the test channel and to the connector. A guide transfer tube is connected to the connector and an other end thereof is disposable at the site in an animal body intended for therapy. A source assembly transport thread is connected to the source assembly and a test assembly transport thread is connected to the test assembly. A source drive means is connected to an other end of the source transport thread and a test drive means is connected to an other end of the test transport thread. The source drive means and the test drive means are operable such that alternatingly the source assembly and the test assembly may be moved from the respective channels and through the guide transfer tube to the site of intended therapy. With this arrangement, the movement of the test assembly to the site of intended therapy is comparable with the movement of the source assembly to the site of intended therapy, whereby the correct positioning of the source assembly at the site of intended therapy is confirmable.

Method of treating a part of the body with radioactive material and a

A drivable radioactive source capsule is provided which comprises a tubular body containing therein a plurality of radioactive sources. The said tubular body has a first end and a second end which is a terminus of the tubular body. A plug has an elongated closure portion with the diameter of the closure portion being substantially equal to the inside diameter of said tubular body. The closure portion is disposed within the tubular body through the second end thereof and is attached to the second end of the tubular body. The plug has a connection portion adjacent the closure portion with the diameter of the connecting portion being substantially equal to the outside diameter of the tubular body. An elongated flexible drive cable is connected to the connection portion of the plug. By this arrangement, radioactive sources may be placed in the tubular body and the body is closed by disposing the closure portion of the plug into the second end of the tubular body and attaching the closure portion to the second end of the tubular body.

Capsule for radioactive source

Apparatus for internal irradiation wherein the radioactive material is applied in the shape of a ball row consisting of contiguous radio-active and neutral balls. This ball row is prepared beforehand and is pneumatically transferred to an applicator tube adapted to be introduced into a body cavity. In order that the balls may stay exactly in the right places during the irradiation, the applicator tube is provided with an internal channel having a narrow end portion, passing through a shoulder into the remaining wider portion, and a final ball is added to each ball row, this final ball having a larger diameter than the other balls, so that it is not admitted in the narrow end portion of the internal channel in the applicator tube. Thus, upon introduction of a ball row, the final ball is arrested by the shoulder and keeps the other balls in place. A plurality of applicator tubes may be applied, each of which is associated with an intermediate container in which the ball row is composed. After the irradiation, the ball row is returned through the intermediate container to a sorting device directing the balls to appropriate storage containers. However, the final ball is retained in the intermediate container, so that it may be added to the next ball row to be composed.

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BB Leersum, Netherlands

Eric Van't Hooft