Flexible and/or elastic brachytherapy seed or strand

摘要

A flexible or elastic brachytherapy strand that includes an imaging marker and/or a therapeutic, diagnostic or prophylactic agent such as a drug in a biocompatible carrier that can be delivered to a subject upon implantation into the subject through the bore of a brachytherapy implantation needle has been developed. Strands can be formed as chains or continuous arrays of seeds up to 50 centimeters or more, with or without spacer material, flaccid, rigid, or flexible.

主权项

1. A seed, for implantation into a subject, comprising: a marker component configured to allow for the determination of the position of the seed within a target tissue, the marker component having a length extending along a centerline of the marker component between a first end and a second end and having a substantially continuous wall bounding a hollow interior; and a therapeutic, prophylactic, and/or diagnostic agent, wherein the agent is disposed within the hollow interior; wherein the length of the marker component is greater than the diameter of the hollow interior and wherein the substantially continuous wall includes at least one opening adapted to allow the agent to pass out of the hollow interior.