Locator for placement of fiducial support device method

Abstract

A locator for the placement of a fiducial support device for brachytherapy may be used to perform a brachytherapy treatment in which one or more radioactive seeds are implanted into a treatment region of a patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A locator device for brachytherapy, comprising:
 a body portion having a distal end with a sharpened end and a proximal end;   a feature visible to medical imaging wherein the imaging of the visual feature of the locator device is used by a piece of software for treatment planning of the brachytherapy procedure;   a plurality of markers along the length of the body portion wherein each marker indicates a depth of the locator device when it is installed into a treatment site; and   an anchoring feature that is capable of anchoring the locator device into tissue.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion further comprises one of a cannula, a guidewire, a catheter, a trocar with a tubular implant and a fiducial marker. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the body portion is manufactured out of one of a polymer-based material, stainless steel, a stainless steel alloy and a bioabsorbable material. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a stylet that slides into an internal cavity in a flexible body portion. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the anchoring feature is one of a set of deployable hooks, a screw-like tip, a balloon and holes for suturing. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the feature visible to medical imaging further comprises one of radioopaque materials, a sensor and computer tomography markers. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the locator device further comprises a set of characteristics used to plan to brachytherapy treatment. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the set of characteristics are a depth of the locator device at the treatment site, an angle of the locator device at the treatment site and a position of the locator device at the treatment site. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 providing a locator device having a body portion with a distal end and a proximal end, an anchoring feature at the distal end of the body portion that is capable of anchoring the locator device into tissue and a plurality of markers along the length of the body portion wherein each marker indicates a depth of the locator device when it is installed into a treatment site;   inserting the locator device into a treatment region in the tissue, the treatment device having one or more computer tomography (CT) markers that are visible to a medical imaging modality;   anchoring, by the anchoring feature of the locator device, the locator device at the treatment region;   imaging, using the medical imaging modality, the locator device including the CT markers;   planning, using treatment planning software, a brachytherapy treatment using a brachytherapy needle based on the imaging of the locator device including the CT markers;   removing the CT markers; and   inserting, using the locator device, a fiducial brachytherapy needle into the treatment region.