APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING RADIOACTIVE GAS TO A DELIVERY DEVICE

摘要

Disclosed is a catheter apparatus filled with a radiation carrier material such as an inert radioactive gas for the treatment of restenosis after angioplasty, and malignancies. The inflated catheter includes a single unit or alternatively, a plurality of discrete chambers for transporting the radioactive carrier material and through which, blood may continue to flow during treatment with the prescribed radiation. When the radioactive carrier is a gas such as Xenon 133, an injection apparatus (1400) may be used that permits use of a standard radioactive gas source vial (1401) that may be loaded into the radioactive source vial enclosure or chamber (1403). The means for enclosing the vial (1404) may also serve as an urging mechanism (1442) to urge the source vial (1401) toward one or more piercing cannulae (1406, 1454) which permit delivery of the radioactive gas to the catheter. In one series of embodiments, the radioactive gas is withdrawn through a selector means (1409) such as a multiple position valve into a gas-tight variable volume chamber (1411) such as a syringe which then is deployed to deliver the gas into the catheter. Following treatment, the gas is withdrawn into the syringe and returned to the source vial (1401). In another series of embodiments a syringe filled with a liquid is used to displace the gas either directly into the delivery catheter (1422), or into a second syringe which injects the gas to the delivery catheter (1422).