Automated Radioactive Seed Placement System with Variable Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for permanent implant brachytherapy in cancer treatment, such as prostate cancer, face limitations in precise and efficient placement of radioactive seeds due to fixed needle spacing and manual insertion procedures, which can lead to suboptimal dose distribution and tissue trauma.
Innovation Solution
An automated stage system that allows for computer-controlled placement of radioactive seeds with variable spacing and orientation, using a needle assembly with actuators to position and insert seeds at arbitrary locations, and provides tactile feedback for manual insertion, enabling precise and efficient seed placement without preloaded spacers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed needle spacing with predrilled holes is used, then procedural simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and adaptability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The guide plate is transformed from a static fixed-hole structure to a dynamic system with movable needles. The needles can be repositioned along the guide plate surface, allowing variable spacing and arbitrary location placement while maintaining the procedural simplicity of using a guide plate. This resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptable without sacrificing ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of needle spacing from fixed to variable. By allowing needles to be moved to different positions on the guide plate, the spacing between seeds can be adjusted according to treatment requirements, improving manufacturing precision while keeping the overall procedure simple.
2Device complexity
If fixed grid spacing is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability and manufacturing precision are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The guide plate structure is made dynamic by enabling needle movement. Instead of requiring multiple fixed guide plates with different hole patterns, a single guide plate can accommodate various needle positions, providing adaptability without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide plate serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines the treatment area, and enables variable needle positioning. This multi-functionality increases adaptability while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
3Ease of operation
If manual needle insertion is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and manufacturing precision are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates tactile feedback that allows the manual insertion process to be self-correcting. The feedback mechanism guides the operator to achieve precise depth and positioning automatically, improving productivity and precision without requiring complex automated insertion equipment.
4Ease of manufacture
If fixed spacing is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision and adaptability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing approach shifts from creating multiple precision-fixed-hole guide plates to manufacturing a single guide plate with movable needle capability. This improves ease of manufacture while achieving superior dosimetric precision through variable spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the manufacturable parameter from fixed hole positions to movable needle positions. This allows the same guide plate structure to be manufactured simply while achieving precise dose distribution through adjustable spacing during use.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic stage allows rapid and more precise needle placement for radiation therapy using implantable radioactive seeds.