Positioning needle guide for brachytherapy treatment of prostate disease and methods of use

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for improved brachytherapy treatment of prostate disease. The apparatus provides for angular reorientation of a needle template with respect to an ultrasound probe during brachytherapy administration. Angular reorientation is expected to beneficially overcome anatomical constraints, such as skeletal structures, that may limit a medical practitioner's ability to deliver radioactive brachytherapy seeds into a prostate in proper alignment.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Apparatus for improved positional control during administration of brachytherapy, the apparatus comprising: 
 a needle guide body having a needle guide channel sized to slidably receive a standard brachytherapy needle;    a support for securing the needle guide body to a brachytherapy apparatus; and    means for disposing the needle guide body at a selected angular and positional orientation relative to the brachytherapy apparatus.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the needle guide body comprises a socket configured to allow angular reorientation of the needle guide channel.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support further comprises means for vertically repositioning the needle guide channel.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support further comprises means for horizontally repositioning the needle guide channel.  
     
     
         5 . Apparatus for improved positional control during administration of brachytherapy, the apparatus comprising: 
 a needle guide body having a plurality of needle guide channels, each one of the needle guide channels sized to slidably receive a standard brachytherapy needle; and    a support for securing the needle guide body to a brachytherapy apparatus, wherein the needle guide body is configured for angular and positional orientation relative to the brachytherapy apparatus having an ultrasound probe.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the plurality of needle guide channels are oriented substantially normal to proximal and distal surfaces of the needle guide body.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the apparatus is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the needle guide body.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of needle guide channels are arranged in an orthogonal grid array.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the needle guide body is composed of a malleable material.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the needle guide body further comprises a plurality of sections coupled together with hinges.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the brachytherapy apparatus further comprises slots adapted to slidably receive the needle guide body.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the needle guide body is selectively positionable within the slots to angularly reorient the needle guide body with respect to the ultrasound probe.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the needle guide body is rotatably affixed to the brachytherapy apparatus.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein proximal and distal surfaces of the needle guide body are repositionable with respect to each other while remaining substantially parallel.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the needle guide channels further comprise means for rotating the proximal and distal surfaces relative to the plurality of needle guide channels.  
     
     
         16 . A method for administering brachytherapy, the method comprising: 
 providing an apparatus comprising an ultrasound probe, a frame rigidly disposed in relation to the ultrasound probe, a needle guide body comprising at least one needle guide channel, the needle guide body affixed to the frame such that the needle guide channel may be angularly orientated with respect to the probe;    longitudinally positioning the ultrasound probe through the patient's rectum to facilitate imaging of the patient's prostrate and reference plane; and    angularly orienting the needle guide channel at a desired angle in real-time with respect to the ultrasound probe.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising guiding the sharpened distal tip of a needle containing brachytherapy seeds through the needle template and into a target location within the patient's prostate until it is aligned with the reference plane.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising retracting the needle in a manner that delivers the brachytherapy seeds into the prostate.