CUSTOM BRACHYTHERAPY CARRIERS

Abstract

A carrier having one or more non-planar surfaces may be embedded with one or more radioactive seeds. A spherical carrier may be substantially radially symmetrical around an axis or a spherical carrier may include a non-spherical portion, such as a tapered portion that extends from a spherical portion.

Description

FIELD

The invention generally relates to improvements to customization of radioactive seed carriers for use in brachytherapy.

BACKGROUND

Tumors in living organisms are highly variable in size, location and their amount of infiltration into normal tissues, and the variability of tumors in general make them very difficult to treat with a one-size fits all approach. Furthermore, the extent of tumors and/or void created upon debulking are typically not known until presented in the operating room. Thus, the options necessary to effectively treat a tumor or tumor bed need to be quite diverse.

Brachytherapy involves placing a radiation source either into or immediately adjacent to a tumor. It provides an effective treatment of cancers of many body sites. Brachytherapy, as a component of multimodality cancer care, provides cost-effective treatment. Brachytherapy may be intracavitary, such as when treating gynecologic malignancies; intraluminal, such as when treating esophageal or lung cancers; external surface, such as when treating cancers of the skin, or interstitial, such as when treating various central nervous system tumors as well as extracranial tumors of the head and neck, breast, lung, soft tissue, gynecologic sites, liver, prostate, and skin.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods, and devices described herein each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure, several non-limiting features will now be described briefly.

Discussed herein are various custom shapes and configurations of collagen seed carriers for providing improved adjuvant radiation treatment. The custom shapes generally include a spherical base loaded with one or more radioactive seeds, which may be compressed for insertion into a surgical cavity and then expanded to fill the cavity when hydrated (via an external source or with bodily fluids). Other three dimensional shapes are also disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles of the present invention will be apparent with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like components:

FIG. 1A is a side view of a spherical carrier having radioactive seeds embedded therein

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example spherical carrier held by forceps.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are cross-sectional views of a spherical carriers loaded with different quantities, and potentially radiation strengths or spacing of radioactive seeds.

FIGS. 3D-3H are cross-sectional views of spherical carriers loaded with different quantities and configurations of radioactive seeds.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a spherical elongate carrier.

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a carrier.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another custom carrier having a spherical portion that tapers into a cylindrical portion.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a tapered carrier having multiple sections each configured for embedding of a radioactive seed therein.

FIG. 6B is cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a carrier having a channel, or canal, extending through a longitudinal axis of the carrier.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of another carrier having flutes extending along a length of the carrier.

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 illustrates a carrier that is configured for placement in a tumor cavity of a patient via an introduction tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although certain preferred embodiments and examples are disclosed below, inventive subject matter extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and to modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, the scope of the claims appended hereto is not limited by any of the particular embodiments described below. For example, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations of the method or process may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding certain embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent. Additionally, the structures, systems, and/or devices described herein may be embodied as integrated components or as separate components. For purposes of comparing various embodiments, certain aspects and advantages of these embodiments are described. Not necessarily all such aspects or advantages are achieved by any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, various embodiments may be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as may also be taught or suggested herein.

Illustrative embodiments are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another.

Terms

To facilitate an understanding of the systems and methods discussed herein, several terms are described below. These terms, as well as other terms used herein, should be construed to include the provided descriptions, the ordinary and customary meanings of the terms, and/or any other implied meaning for the respective terms, wherein such construction is consistent with context of the term. Thus, the descriptions below do not limit the meaning of these terms, but only provide example descriptions.

Tumor: an abnormal growth of tissue resulting from uncontrolled, progressive multiplication of cells. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Tumor bed: an anatomical area of a patient (e.g., a human or other mammal) where a tumor exists (pre-operative tumor bed) and/or an area surrounding a surgically removed tumor (post-operative tumor bed), such as a cranial cavity from which a tumor was surgically removed. Even after surgical removal of a tumor, the remaining tumor bed of the patient may include tumor cells.

Treatment area: an anatomical area that is targeted for delivery of radiation, such as from one or more radiation delivery devices (e.g., the carriers discussed below). A treatment area may include tissue below and/or around a location where the radiation deliver device is positioned, such as an anatomical area of a tumor or a tumor bed.

Treatment surface: an anatomical surface of a patient (e.g., a human or other mammal) where a radiation delivery device is to be placed to deliver radiation to a treatment area, such as the treatment surface itself and/or tissue below the treatment surface. A treatment surface may be a portion of a tumor bed or any other anatomical surface. For example, if a tumor bed is surgically created, the treatment surface may include an entire exposed surface of the tumor bed, a portion of such exposed surface, or the entire exposed surface of the tumor bed as well as a surrounding area of tissue.

Brachytherapy: radiation treatment in which the radiation delivery device is placed directly on and/or close to a treatment surface of the body, such as directly on the surface of the body, within the body, or in a tumor bed. For example, brachytherapy may be intracavitary, such as in cranial or gynecologic malignancies; intraluminal, such as in esophageal or lung cancers; external, such as in cancers of the skin; and/or interstitial, such as in treatment of various central nervous system tumors as well as extracranial tumors of the head, neck, lung, soft tissue, gynecologic sites, rectum, liver, prostate, and penis.

Seed: a radioactive material that is configured for delivery of radiation to a tumor and/or tumor bed. A seed may be in various shapes and sizes, such as cylinder, cone, sphere, pyramid, cube, prism, rectangular prism, triangular prism, and/or any combination of these or other shapes. While seeds are generally referred to herein as cylindrical, any other shape or size of seed may alternatively be used in the various systems and methods discussed herein. Seeds may comprise any combination of one or more of multiple radioactive components, such as Cs 131, Ir 192, I 125, Pd 103, for example. Seeds may include a protective outer shell that partially or fully encases the radioactive material. Seeds are one form of radiation source. The term “radiation source,” as used herein, generally refers to a radioactive seed (or other object that emits radiation), either alone (e.g., a seed) or embedded, or otherwise attached to, a carrier (e.g., a tile carrier with an embedded radioactive seed).

Carrier: a substrate that holds or contains a radioactive seed. A carrier that contains one or more seeds is a radiation delivery device. Carriers may comprise various materials, such as one or more bioresorbable materials, such as collagen. Thus, these bioresorbable materials are biodegradable, or naturally absorbing into the mammalian tissue over time, such as over a period of weeks or months. Carriers may be configured for permanent implantation into a tumor bed, such as to provide radioactive energy to a treatment surface surrounding an area where a tumor has been removed in order to treat any remaining malignant tissue. Carriers can be composed of various materials and take on various shapes and sizes. Examples carriers, such as carriers having various sizes, shapes, configurations, etc., as well as fabrication processes, are included in the following patent and patent application, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes:

• • U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/322,785, filed Jul. 2, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,876,684, entitled “Dosimetrically Customizable Brachytherapy Carriers and Methods Thereof In The Treatment Of Tumors,” and
  • U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/216,723, filed Mar. 17, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,492,683, entitled “Dosimetrically Customizable Brachytherapy Carriers and Methods Thereof In The Treatment Of Tumors.”
  • U.S. Patent Application No. 63/163,366, filed Mar. 19, 2021, entitled “Systems And Methods For Creating Custom Brachytherapy Carriers.”

Tile Carrier (also referred to as “Tile”): type of carrier that is substantially planar and generally maintains a two-dimensional planar geometry when placed in a tumor bed. Tiles are generally rectangular cuboids (or other parallelepipeds), e.g., wherein all 6 sides are rectangular and generally planar. Depending on the material of the tile, though, the tile may be malleable such that the tile can be deformed by bending in order to better conform to a tumor bed. For example, for tiles comprising essentially collagen (and/or other malleable materials), the tiles may be substantially bent as placed in or on a treatment surface (and/or when pressed against the treatment surface) to conform with the shape of the treatment surface, such as a post-operative tumor bed.

Custom Carrier: a carrier having one or more non-planar surfaces, such as a spherical shape or having a spherical portion. Examples of custom carriers include Spherical Carriers, Gore Carriers, and Star Carriers, noted below, as well as other custom carriers discussed herein.

Spherical Carrier (or “GammaSphere”): a substantially radially symmetrical body around an axis. A spherical carrier may also include a non-spherical portion, such as a tapered portion that extends from a spherical portion. Examples of other variations of spherical carriers are discussed herein.

Gore Carrier (also referred to as “Gore”): type of carrier that is 3-dimensional and conforms to the tumor bed while maintaining the geometry necessary for an effective implant. In some embodiments, gores are initially planar and are reconfigured to take on a 3-dimensional shape, such as to form a hemispherical surface that may be placed into a similarly shaped tumor cavity. Gore Carriers are further discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,876,684, entitled “Dosimetrically customizable brachytherapy carriers and methods thereof in the treatment of tumors,” filed on Jul. 2, 2014 as application Ser. No. 14/322,785, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

Star Carrier (also referred to as “Star” or “arm-based carrier”): type of carrier that assumes a conformable 3-dimensional shape when arranged and placed into an operative cavity or similar space and conforms to the treatment environment while maintaining the geometry necessary for an effective implant. However, in some embodiments, Star carriers may be used in their initial planar state to cover a relatively flat tumor or tumor bed area. Star carriers are further discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,492,683, entitled “Dosimetrically customizable brachytherapy carriers and methods thereof in the treatment of tumors,” filed on Mar. 17, 2014 as application Ser. No. 14/216,723, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

Loader: a device that aids in placement of radioactive seeds in carriers, such as via injection of seeds into carriers. A loader, also referred to herein as a “loading device,” may include multiple components, such as to hold a carrier in place and guide a delivery device (e.g., a needle or injector) into the carrier in order to place a seed at a precise location in the carrier. The “Loader Patents” refers to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/460,809, filed Apr. 30, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,939,881, entitled “Apparatus For Loading Dosimetrically Customizable Brachytherapy Carriers,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/696,293, filed Apr. 24, 2015, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Loading Radioactive Seeds Into Carriers,” which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes, describe several embodiments of loaders. As discussed further herein, loaders may be operated manually, such as by human operators, or may be fully automated, such that carriers can be loaded with seeds using an automated process. Alternatively, loaders may be configured to be automated in part and require manual operation in part.

Shielding Material: any material that restricts movement of radioactive particles, such as by absorbing, reflecting, and/or scattering radioactive particles. The term “shielding,” as used herein, generally refers to any mechanism of preventing radiation from moving through and exiting a corresponding shielding material, such as by the shielding material absorbing, reflecting, or otherwise blocking the radiation. Shielding materials in various forms may be used in the various embodiments discussed herein. For example, a shielding material may be in the form of a particle, wire, rod, cylinder, bar, sheet, liquid, solution, foam, or any other form in which a material having radiation absorbing and/or reflecting properties is possible. A shielding material provides a shielding rate, which is generally an amount of shielding of radioactive energy (that is emitted from one or more radiation sources), provided by the particular shielding materials. Similarly, a shielding layer comprising multiple shielding materials and an isolation sheet have associated shielding rates, which are dependent on the combination of shielding (and possibly non-shielding) materials therein. For some applications, such as based on clinical need, an isolation sheet that provides a shielding rate of 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, 95%, 98% or some other shielding percentage, may be desired. As discussed herein, material composition, shape, size, dimensions, etc. may impact the shielding abilities of a shielding material. For applications (e.g., based on clinical need) where a higher shielding percentage is desired than may be provided by a single shielding material, multiple shielding materials may be used in combination, in one or more shielding layers or isolation sheets.

High Z Materials: any element with an atomic number greater than 20, or an alloy containing such materials.

Hot Carrier: a carrier that is loaded with a material that is radioactive.

Cold Carrier: a carrier that is not loaded a material that is radioactive, such as a carrier prior to loading of a radioactive seed.

Dosimetry: a process of measurement and quantitative description of the radiation absorbed dose (rad) in a tissue or organ.

Treatment Specifications: any information that is useful in selecting and/or manufacturing of custom radioactive seed carrier's for a particular patient, such as based on a treatment plan developed for the patient. Treatment specifications may include information regarding a cavity into which the custom carriers will be used, such as cavity size, cavity shape, etc. Treatment specifications may also include a desired dose of radiation to be realized with the custom carriers developed for the indicated cavity. In some implementations, treatment specifications may include further details, such as an indication of preferred sizes, shapes, materials, etc. of carriers.

Example Custom Carriers

FIG. 1A is a side view of a spherical carrier 100 having radioactive seeds embedded therein, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier 100. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1B, radioactive seeds 110 (including radioactive seeds 110A and radioactive seed 110 B) are embedded in a central portion of the spherical carrier. Depending on the embodiment, the spherical carrier 100 may comprise various bioresorbable materials, such as synthetic collagen, bovine—derived collagen, human— derived collagen, and/or any other suitable bioresorbable material. The spherical carrier 100, as well as other custom carriers discussed herein, may be manufactured in various manners, including those discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 63/163,366, filed Mar. 19, 2021, entitled “Systems And Methods For Creating Custom Brachytherapy Carriers,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

FIG. 2 illustrates the example spherical carrier 100 held by forceps 210, such as may be used in a surgical process of implanting the carrier 100 into a tumor cavity. Depending on the application, as well as characteristics of the particular carrier, other tools and procedures may be used to place a carrier into its proper location within a tumor cavity. For example, in some embodiments an endoscope may be used to insert one or more carriers into a tumor cavity.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are cross-sectional views of a spherical carrier 300A, 300B, and 300C, respectively, loaded with different quantities, and potentially radiation strengths, of radioactive seeds. The spherical carrier 300A includes two radioactive seeds 310A and 3108, while the spherical carrier 300B includes only a single radioactive seed 310C and the spherical carrier 300C includes three radioactive seeds 310D, 311E, and 310F. In some implementations, the radioactive seed 310C is a higher radiation strength then radioactive seeds in carriers 300A or 300C because the carrier 300B includes only a single radioactive seed. In other implementations, the radioactive seed 310C is a similar strength as those in higher seed count carriers, as prescribed by a radiation treatment plan. Depending on the embodiment, seeds may be positioned in various arrangements within a seed carrier.

FIGS. 3D-3H are cross-sectional views of spherical carriers loaded with different quantities and configurations of radioactive seeds. The cross-sections of FIGS. 3D-3H include a cross-section of radioactive seeds, such as seeds that are generally cylindrical. FIGS. 3D, 3E, and 3F each illustrate, for example, a custom carrier with a radioactive seed in the center of a spherical carrier, with additional radioactive seeds positioned equidistant around the periphery of the spherical carrier. In some embodiments, the strength of the center and the periphery seeds may vary, such as a higher strength seed in the center and lower strength seeds on the periphery. Similarly, the strength of the seeds around the periphery may vary, such as to achieve a desired treatment plan. For example, a side of the spherical carrier that is distal to the treatment service may not include a radioactive seed, while the opposite side that is proximal to the treatment service includes a radioactive seed. In other embodiments, any other quantity of radioactive seeds may be positioned around the periphery and/or in a central portion of the spherical carriers.

The example embodiments of the year 3G and 3H illustrate radioactive seeds positioned near a periphery of the spherical carrier, without a radioactive seed in the center.

While the seeds in FIGS. 3D-3H are each indicated in a similar orientation, in other embodiments seeds may be implanted at different orientations within a custom carrier. For example, a seed in the center of the custom carrier may be orthogonal in one dimension to a plurality of seeds near the outer edges of the custom carrier. Additionally, any other quantity and positioning of radioactive seeds within a custom carrier is contemplated.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a spherical elongate carrier 400 and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier 400. The spherical elongate carrier 400 may advantageously be placed into a tumor cavity that is larger than a channel through tissue leading to the tumor cavity. Thus, the specialized shape of carrier 400 may advantageously fill a tumor cavity as well as they narrower channel to the cavity. Spherical elongate carriers, such as carrier 400, may be manufactured using custom molds or bio printing, such as is discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 63/163,366, filed Mar. 19, 2021, entitled “Systems And Methods For Creating Custom Brachytherapy Carriers.”

In some embodiments, carriers are compressed for insertion into a tumor cavity. For example, the spherical portion 405 of carrier 400 may be compressed to fit through a channel leading to a tumor cavity. Once properly positioned within the tumor cavity, the carrier 400 may be hydrated, either with added saline and/or through bodily fluids in the tumor cavity, causing the spherical portion 410 to expand and fill the tumor cavity.

FIG. 4B shows carrier 400 with three radioactive seeds 410, with one seed 410A in a central portion of the spherical portion 405, another seed 410B positioned in a portion where the spherical portion 405 begins to taper into a cylindrical portion 407, and a third seed 410C in the cylindrical portion 407.

In some embodiments, the carriers are configured for size customization, such as at the time of surgery, e.g., either prior to insertion or after insertion into a tumor cavity. With reference to carrier 400, cut lines 402 (including 402A and 402B) indicate locations on the carrier where the carrier may be safely cut without impacting one of the embedded radioactive seeds 410. FIG. 4C illustrates, for example, a cross-sectional view of a carrier 400C, which is the carrier 400 after trimming the distal end of the carrier 400 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) at the trim line 402B (FIG. 4A). Thus, the carrier 400 is reconfigured to reduce a length of the carrier, such as to better fit into a tumor cavity. In some implementations, if the surgeon suspects that trimming of the portion of the carrier will be performed, such as to remove the portion that extends outside of the cavity, the radioactive seed 410C may not be loaded into the carrier 400.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another custom carrier 500 having a spherical portion 510 that tapers into a cylindrical portion 520. In the cross-sectional view of carrier 500 in FIG. 5B, four radioactive seeds 510 are shown within the carrier 500. In this example, the radioactive seeds are evenly spaced, and cut lines are shown on the outer surface of the carrier (FIG. 5A) to indicate areas between the seeds where the carrier 500 may be cut to shorten its size. In other embodiments, the radioactive seeds may be spaced differently and/or different quantities of radioactive seeds may be included.

FIG. 6A illustrates a tapered carrier 600 having multiple sections each configured for embedding of a radioactive seed therein. Depending on the implementation, the orientation of the carrier 600 (as well as other carriers discussed herein), may be reversible. For example, one application of the carrier 600 may call for insertion with the proximal and 602 entering the cavity first, with the distal end 604 extending closer to (or extending out of) the cavity. However, depending on parameters such as the shape, size, depth, etc. of the tumor cavity, in some implementations the distal end 604 may be inserted first into the cavity, with the proximal end 602 extending closer to (or extending out of) the cavity. Additionally, the quantity and spacing of radioactive seeds within carrier 600 may vary from one application to the next. For example, in one implementation (e.g., a particular surgical implantation) the carrier 600 may be embedded with six radioactive seeds, in each of the six indicated sections. In another implementation, the carrier 600 may be embedded with three radioactive seeds, alternating sections from the first section at the proximal and 600 towards the distal end 604. Any other combination of radioactive seed placements is contemplated. Advantageously, the carrier 600 includes cut lines 605 indicating locations where the carrier length may be safely trimmed (either pre- or post-implant) without impacting a radioactive seed.

FIG. 6B is cross-sectional view of carrier 600 with radioactive seeds embedded in each of the six sections.

FIG. 7A illustrates a perspective view and FIG. 7B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a carrier 700 having a channel 702, or canal, extending through a longitudinal axis of the carrier. As shown in cross-sectional view of FIG. 7B, the channel 702 is positioned parallel to the multiple seeds 710 embedded in the carrier 700. In other embodiments, a channel may be positioned in other locations. The channel 702 may be used for drainage, such as to remove excess fluid around the carrier and/or as a path to adding hydration to the carrier, such as to cause the proximal end of the carrier to hydrate and expand into a cavity. In other implementations, the channel may be used for gas exchange with the treatment surface, such as to allow a fluid (e.g., a gas or a liquid) to escape from a tumor cavity as the carrier is inserted.

FIG. 8A illustrates a perspective view of another carrier 800 having flutes 810 extending along a length of the carrier. FIG. 8B is a cross-section of the carrier 800, illustrating the fluting. The fluting may be used in a similar manner as the channel 702 of FIG. 7, e.g., for drainage and/or for providing fluid to (or allowing fluid removal from) a proximal end of the carrier. Additionally, the fluting may adhere better to certain tissue than a smooth outer surface. In some embodiments, a channel (e.g., as in FIGS. 7A-7B) and/or fluting (e.g., as in FIGS. 8A-8B) may also be used to allow delivery of antibiotics and/or other therapeutic agents. For example, in some embodiments, one or more channels or fluting may allow delivery of a fluidic therapeutic agent, such as a chemotherapy drug, to the treatment surface.

In any of the embodiments discussed herein, at least a proximal portion of a carrier (or the entire carrier) may comprise a biopolymer material that delivers a therapeutic agent to a treatment area and/or may be coated with a therapeutic agent.

In any of the embodiments discussed herein, markings may be included during a custom carrier fabrication process (e.g., prior to shipment to the surgical site) and/or as part of an intra-operative implantation process. For example, markings (which may be visual and/or tactile) may indicate a proximal portion of the custom carrier that should contact (or be closest to) the treatment surface. Alternatively, markings may indicate a distal portion of the custom carrier that should be furthest away from the treatment surface. In some implementations, markings may indicate location of each radioactive seed embedded in a custom carrier and/or a strength of each of the radioactive seeds, such as using a color coding scheme or printing the numerical radiation strength (e.g., in Gy) on the surface of the custom carrier. Similarly, markings may indicate location of shielding, such as to indicate a distal portion of the carrier.

FIG. 9 illustrates a carrier 900 that is configured for placement in a tumor cavity of a patient via an introduction tool 930, such as endoscope 930A or tubing 930B or 930C. In this example, the carrier may be compressed to form carrier 900B, which is then sized for insertion into one of the introduction tools 930, which may be selected based on the resection cavity size and access cavity, for example. For example, insertion via a nasal passage may be best performed using an endoscope while direct insertion into a shallow resection cavity may be easier with one of the insertion tools 930B or 930C. The introduction tool may then be used to find the appropriate location for insertion of the carrier and embed the carrier at that location. As noted above, in some embodiments the compressed carrier 9106 expands to fill the tumor cavity upon hydration within the tumor cavity.

Other Embodiments

Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

It should be emphasized that many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be practiced In many ways. As is also stated above, the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. The scope of the invention should therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A radioactive seed carrier comprising:

a substantially radially symmetrical body around an axis consisting essentially of a bio-resorbable material, where a diameter of the body is in the range of about one to seven centimeters; and

one or more radioactive seeds positioned within the body, the one or more radioactive seeds comprising a radioactive emitting radiation configured to kill living cells;

wherein the seed carrier is capable of compression.

2. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein the body is substantially spherical.

3. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a substantially spherical portion that tapers to a substantially cylindrical portion.

4. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a substantially spherical portion and a tapered portion extending from the spherical portion, wherein a diameter of the tapered portion decreases with distance from the cylindrical portion.

5. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 4, wherein one or more radioactive seeds are embedded in the tapered portion.

6. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more trim lines indicating locations where the radioactive seed carrier is configured to be separated.

7. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 6, wherein the one or more trim lines are separated by about five to twenty millimeters.

8. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, further comprising:

a drain channel extending through the body.

9. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the body comprises one or more flutes.

10. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the body comprises a sinusoidal surface.

11. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein the radioactive seed carrier is configured for implantation into mammalian tissue via an endoscope.

12. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the body when compressed is less than about two-thirds of the original diameter.

13. The radioactive seed carrier of claim 1, wherein the bioresorbable material comprise human-derived collagen or bovine-derived collagen.

14. A radioactive seed carrier comprising:

a substantially radially symmetrical body around an axis consisting essentially of a bio-resorbable material; and

one or more radioactive seeds positioned within the body, the one or more radioactive seeds comprising a radioactive material emitting radiation configured to kill living cells.