Ablation Technologies Inc.

Hypertherm, Inc.

Ati Medical, Inc.

Pegasus Medical Technologies, Inc.

Robert D Tucker

Joseph A Paulus

Chester E Sievert, Jr

Stefen Loening

Implantable seeds, comprising rod-shaped ferromagnetic elements with end caps that contain radioactive pellets, designed for,delivering both thermal radiation and ionizing radiation for treatment of tumorous tissue are described. The implantable seeds can also contain additional radioactive pellets positioned in hollow tubular sleeves that connect a series of ferromagnetic elements. The ferromagnetic material may be a palladium-cobalt (Pd&mdash;Co) alloy with a Curie temperature between about 40 C. and 100 C., and the end caps and tubular sleeves may be made of titanium. Alternatively, the ferromagentic elements may comprise rods with longitudinal channels in their outer surfaces, into which radioactive sources are positioned. This assembly is held together by an outer tubular sleeve or coating. The radioactive pellets comprise either palladium-103 or iodine-125. Methods of making the seeds and of delivering treatment to a patient are also described.

Radiation and thermal energy source

An implantable seed for simultaneous delivery of thermal and radioactive radiation to target tissue comprises a tube or rod of a ferromagnetic alloy which, when subjected to an oscillating magnetic field will heat up, the alloy also being coated or otherwise treated with a radioactive isotope which gives off X-ray radiation during the decay thereof.

Combination radioactive and temperature self-regulating thermal seed

A COPd thermoseed for treating cancerous tissue. The alloy constituents are chosen such that the Curie point temperature thereof falls into a therapeutic range. Because its magnetization vs. temperature characteristic exhibits an increasing slope up to the Curie transition, thermoseeds fabricated from the alloy can be optimized about the maximum in the M-T curve.

Cobalt palladium seeds for thermal treatment of tumors

Disclosed is apparatus and method for treating prostate tumors. The apparatus includes a platform on which the patient may be seated. An electromagnetic coil is disposed beneath the platform and creates a field that acts on thermoseeds placed in the tumor. The method includes inductively heating the thermoseeds which heat the tumor cells to a temperature of between 45.degree. and 50.degree. C.

Growing community of inventors

North Liberty, IA, United States of America

Robert D Tucker