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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.