The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 21, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 16, 1992
Sam F Liprie, Lake Charles, LA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method of forming implantable low dose solid radioactive segments of desired lengths sealed against end leakage of radioactive particles, for use in brachytherapy of malignant tumors. The segments are separated from a single continuous elongate assembly of composite material which includes a continuous solid radioactive elongate core at least partly composed of iridium, sufficiently brittle to break cleanly when cut transverse to its longitudinal axis, encased along substantially its entire longitudinal surface in a sheath having a predetermined thickness and composed of substantially pure platinum or other metal which is malleable relative to the hardness of the core and, when irradiated, has a half-life much shorter than that of the core. When a radioactive segment of selected length is needed for use as a brachytherapy implant, the continuous assembly is cut transversely to provide the selected length, using a pair of scissors having opposed blunt blades, by bringing a portion of the assembly transversely between the blunt blades and thereupon exerting a cutting force on the assembly lying therebetween to break the core cleanly at that point while squeezing the sheath firmly about the newly cut end of the core to encapsulate and substantially seal it within the sheath against radioactive leakage at the newly cut end.