Abstract: This invention proposes a capsule to administer radiation to a patient to be mounted on an arm, preferably a robotic arm such as on and in coordination with a Da Vinci® Surgical Robot, in order to control radiation exposure using a cylindrical shell shutter system designed to minimize leakage from a centrally located radiation source, while permitting full exposure of irradiated subject material or space when the cylindrical shell shutter system is opened. Using a series of concentric cylindrical shells which each contain an offset conically-shaped aperture from that of an adjacent cylindrical shell, when the cylindrical shells rotate into an “open” position, the apertures form a smooth cone to an outer emission aperture and expose the radiation source to adjacent tissue. When rotated to be “closed” or “off, the offset apertures and shells occlude the source, preventing full-strength radiation exposure and minimizing radiation leakage.

Abstract: This invention proposes a robotic applicator device to be deployed internally to a patient having a capsule (also referred to as a cassette) and aperture with a means of alternately occluding and exposing a radioactive source through the aperture. The capsule and aperture will be integrated with a surgical robot to create a robotic IORT (intra-operative radiation therapy) applicator device as more fully described below. The capsule, radiation source, and IORT applicator arm would be integrated to enable a physician, physicist or technician to interactively internally view and select tissue for exposure to ionizing radiation in sufficient quantities to deliver therapeutic radiation doses to tissue. Via the robotic manipulation device, the physician and physicist would remotely apply radiation to not only the tissue to be exposed, but also control the length of time of the exposure.