System and method for the treatment of spinal metastases

Abstract

A brachytherapy system for treating metastases on and around a patient's spinous process is provided. The device generally includes a catheter member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The distal portion of the catheter member includes first and second branch members that are adapted to be positioned on opposed sides of a patient's spinous process. The device further includes first and second elongate anchoring elements disposed on the first and second branch members, and optionally can include at least one centering mechanism disposed within each of the first and second anchoring elements. The first and second anchoring elements are preferably adapted to be positioned between a spinous process and transverse process of at least one vertebral body, and to extend along a length of a patient's spinal column, such that the first and second anchoring elements, when expanded, engage and anchor the first and second branch members between the spinous process and transverse process of at least one vertebral body.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to apparatus for use in treating proliferative tissue disorders, and more particularly to an apparatus for the treatment of such disorders in the body by the application of radiation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Malignant tumors are often treated by surgical resection of the tumor to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Infiltration of the tumor cells into normal tissue surrounding the tumor, however, can limit the therapeutic value of surgical resection because the infiltration can be difficult or impossible to treat surgically. Radiation therapy can be used to supplement surgical resection by targeting the residual tumor margin after resection, with the goal of reducing its size or stabilizing it. Radiation therapy, or surgical excision followed by radiation therapy, is commonly used to treat spinal metastases. Metastases are tumors that have grown in a location that is remote from the site that the t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The present invention generally provides a brachytherapy system for treating metastases on and around a patient's spinous process. In one embodiment, a brachytherapy device is provided having a catheter member including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The distal portion of the catheter member includes first and second branch members that are adapted to be positioned on opposed sides of at least one of a patient's spinous process. The device further includes first and second elongate anchoring elements disposed on the first and second branch members. The device is adapted to receive a radiation source through the at least one lumen in the catheter to the first and second branch members for delivering radiation to tissue surrounding the at least one spinous process. The device can also optionally include at least one centering mechanism disposed on each of the first and second branch members. Each centering mechanism is effective to maintain symmetry of the first and second branch members with respect to a patient's spinal column, and / or to receive a radiation source and to deliver the source to a treatment site.

[0008] In another embodiment, the first and second anchoring elements can be first and second outer expandable balloons, and each centering mechanism can be an inner expandable balloon. Each inner expandable balloon preferably has a size adapted to receive a predetermined amount of a fluid radiation source such that varying doses of radiation can be delivered along a length of the outer expandable balloon. More preferably, each inner expandable balloon is effective to position a radiation source at a predetermined distance apart from the first and second outer expandable balloon to provide a minimum absorbed dose for delivering radiation to tissue adjacent to the outer expandable balloons.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, a brachytherapy device is provided including an elongate catheter member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, an inflation lumen, and at least one source lumen. A plurality of inner centering mechanisms are disposed around the catheter member and are in communication with a source lumen. In use, the device is adapted to receive a radiation source to deliver radiation to tissue surrounding the device. The device can also optionally include an outer anchoring member disposed around the distal portion of the catheter member and in communication with the inflation lumen. The outer anchoring member is adapted to anchor the catheter member between a spinous process and transverse process of at least one vertebral body, and to extend along a length of a patient's spinal column. The plurality of centering mechanisms are preferably disposed within the outer anchoring member and are effective to maintain symmetry along a length of the distal portion of the elongate catheter member.

Problems solved by technology

Infiltration of the tumor cells into normal tissue surrounding the tumor, however, can limit the therapeutic value of surgical resection because the infiltration can be difficult or impossible to treat surgically.

At present, there are no devices configured for treatment of such proliferation, especially where the proliferation extends through more than one vertebra within the spine.

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