摘要 |
An apparatus is guided by a guidewire within a luminal structure of a patient for receiving a radiation dose delivery wire with a radiation source attached to its distal end, for treating a disease process. The apparatus includes a balloon catheter with a blind lumen sealed at its distal end and a guidewire lumen extending therethrough to accept a guidewire. The blind lumen is adapted to accept the radiation delivery wire into its proximal end. In a method of treating the disease process with the apparatus, the guidewire is inserted into the guidewire lumen of the balloon catheter, the balloon catheter is inserted into the patient's luminal structure at least as far as a predetermined section of the luminal structure, the radiation dose delivery wire is inserted into the blind lumen in the balloon catheter and moved a predetermined distance therein for a predetermined period of time, and, after the period has elapsed, the radiation dose delivery wire is removed from the blind lumen.
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