Interventional Therapies

Omnitron International, Inc.

Other

United States Surgical Corporation

Angiorad, L.l.c.

Samuel F Liprie

Lee Roy Morgan

Michael H Hayman

Kenneth E Toso

Lisa D Futato

Gregory F Toso

A flexible source wire is provided containing a radioactive source that is capable of maneuvering through a tortuous narrow passage to a treatment site within the body. This source wire includes a thin flexible housing tube, housing therein a flexible backbone wire, wherein both the tube and the wire are constructed from a material exhibiting little or no memory retention when bent. A radioactive core is provided in the proximal end (i.e., the treatment end) of the thin flexible housing tube and abuts the proximal end of the backbone wire. Both ends of the source wire are sealed and the proximal end of the source wire is rounded to allow ease of movement as it travels through the bends and turns in the body.

Flexible source wire for localized internal irradiation of tissue

There is provided a hollow tubular insert having a closed distal end for use within a treatment catheter of the type,used to perform an angioplasty procedure. The insert is provided to receive and guide a source wire having a radioactive distal portion to a position adjacent a stenotic site within a vessel. The insert generally includes an internal segment positionable within the treatment catheter and an external segment extending proximally from a proximal end of the internal segment. A bore extends from an open proximal end of the external segment to a closed distal end of the internal segment for receipt of the source wire. A first connector is provided between the internal and external segments for securing the insert to the treatment catheter. A second connector is provided to connect the insert to a remote afterloader device.

Treatment catheter insert

A system is provided for delivering a medical treatment to a treatment site in a vessel or other conduit in a mammalian body, including an afterloader including a housing, a drive member, and a conduit having a first end operatively associated with an output portion of the drive member, and a connector disposed at a second end, the connector defining a first mating surface, an elongated transport tube having a proximal end defining a second mating surface, the first and second mating surfaces being complementarily configured and dimensioned such that a continuous passageway is formed between the conduit and the elongated transport tube, and a locking member positionable within a channel formed adjacent either the first or second mating surfaces and being configured and dimensioned such that upon insertion of the locking member in the channel the first and second mating surfaces are securely mated.

System and method for delivering a medical treatment to a treatment site

Process for manufacturing a radioactive source wire for irradiating diseased tissue

A catheter ( ), and a method for performing radiation treatment at a site where angio-plasty was performed, are disclosed. The catheter ( ) includes a hollow, cylindrical member ( ) constructed from a fairly flexible material. The catheter is maneuvered within the body by traveling over a guide wire which was initially maneuvered in the blood vessel to a position beyond the actual site of a stenosis. Stand-off structure ( ) having a stand-off balloon ( ) surrounds a portion ( ) of the outer surface of the catheter ( ). The distal end ( ) of the catheter ( ) includes an inner lumen plug ( ), and a distal mandrel ( ) extending through the inner lumen plug ( ). The distal mandrel ( ) is manufactured from shape memory alloy to stiffen, and reinforce the catheter when the catheter is introduced within the blood vessel.

Catheter with stand-off structure

An apparatus and method for treating an occlusion or constriction, such as a stenosis in a blood vessel or other conduit in the body, as well as an apparatus and method for treating a tumor or cancerous area occurring around a conduit or duct in the body. The apparatus includes a catheter provided with a centering balloon including a catheter centering balloon encircling a portion of the catheter near its distal end. This centering balloon contains a plurality of thin spoke-like members. A second dilatation balloon attached to the surface of the catheter is used to treat the stenosed area. A radioactive source of material is included for treating the stenosis or cancer.

Dilatation/centering catheter used for the treatment of stenosis or other construction in a bodily passageway and method thereof

Dilatation/centering catheter used for the treatment of stenosis or

An apparatus and method for treating an occlusion or constriction, such as a stenosis in a blood vessel or other conduit in the body, as well as an apparatus and method for treating a tumor or cancerous area occurring around a conduit or duct in the body. The apparatus includes a catheter provided with a ribbed balloon encircling a portion near its distal end. When inserted into the body over a guide wire and transported to the site of the stenosis, the balloon is inflated one or more times and, due to the ribbed balloon, blood perfuses around the catheter during the treatment. A radioactive source of material is inserted through the catheter to the site of the stenosis or cancer where it is maintained in position for a period of time to reduce the occurrence of re-stenosis or cancer. A guide wire provided with a removable core can be utilized to properly maneuver the catheter to the site of the stenosis or cancer.

Method and apparatus for treating stenosis or other constriction in a

A composite source wire for use in a patient's body to irradiate preselected tissue by localized in vivo radiation with a radioactive source, via a path from a point external to the body to the site of the tissue to be irradiated. The source wire includes a thin elongate stainless steel wire with a substantially cylindrical central aperture at its distal tip, a cylindrical radioactive fiber core tightly sealed without welding within and abutting at one end the floor of the aperture and at the other end a cylindrical plug sealing the aperture at the distal tip of the source wire, the distal tip being securely enclosed about the plug and forming a tapered tip portion at that point. The source wire has an overall diameter sized to permit ease of movement through the path formed by a vessel or duct in the patient's body during advancement to the site of the tissue to be irradiated and to allow its retraction along the path from the point external to the body.

Source wire for localized internal irradiation of tissue

A remote control device used with an afterloader for advancing and retracting a dummy wire as well as a treatment wire into and out of a patient which is to be treated with a radioactive element or elements. The remote unit is provided with displays for showing the advancement of a treatment or dummy wire as well as indicating a treatment time. A sensor is provided to indicate that a transport tube through which a treatment or dummy wire will be advanced into the patient is properly connected to the afterloader.

Afterloader provided with remote control unit

An apparatus for treating an occlusion or constriction, such as a stenosis in a blood vessel or other conduit in the body, as well as an apparatus for treating bodily diseases (e.g. a tumor or cancerous area) occurring around a conduit or duct in the body. The apparatus includes a catheter which is correctly positioned within a conduit of the body utilizing a guide wire. The guide wire would pass through the entire length of the catheter, or a portion of the length of the catheter, and would exit the catheter through a constriction plug affixed to the end of the catheter. A radioactive treatment source wire is then introduced into the catheter and is maneuvered to the site of treatment. The constriction plug is provided with an internal diameter which is less than the diameter of the radioactive source wire, but greater than the diameter of the guide wire. This construction would prevent the radioactive source wire from remaining in the body after the catheter has been removed.

Catheter for maneuvering radioactive source wire to site of treatment

An ultra-thin iridium source is used for the treatment of cancerous tissue, particularly in areas of the human body, such as the brain, where minimization of trauma to adjacent tissue is a high priority. The source is formed of a relatively pure iridium seed encapsulated in the end region of a relatively pure unitary platinum delivery wire. The relatively pure iridium source is irradiated to a high activity level (e.g. 10 curie) even though having a short overall length (e.g. 10 millimeter) and ultra-thin diameter (e.g. about 1/8 millimeter ). The platinum delivery wire defines a substantially uniform ultra-thin cross section of approximately 0.5 millimeter diameter. The iridium source is formed within the unitary platinum delivery wire without resort to welding or other inherently unreliable attachment systems. Delivery of the high activity pure iridium source to treatment area is achieved using remote afterloader equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Charles, LA, United States of America

Samuel F Liprie