US6010445A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radioactive medical device and process
Assignee: Implant Sciences Corp
•
Filing: 1997-11-12
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Granted: 2000-01-04
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Expires: 2017-11-12
Abstract
Abstract An implantable medical device according to the systems and methods described herein may include a metal body or stent that does not contain significant quantities of iron or chromium and that is initially formed from a non-radioactive structural material. A non-radioactive activatable additive (the precursor isotope) may be added into or onto the body of the medical device. Neutron activation of the body of the medical device with the incorporated non-radioactive isotope may then be accomplished, and, if the metal body of the medical device contains a significant quantity of nickel, a coating of a high-density material may be applied over the radioactive body of the medical device. In an alternate embodiment, a coating of certain types of high-density material may be applied prior to neutron activation. The coating of high-density material may serve several useful purposes, including containment of undesirable beta particles from spurious long-lived radioactive species, creation of a biologically inert surface, and enhancement of the x-ray radiopacity to improve the visibility of the implantable medical device.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony J. Armini
- 👤 Stephen N. Bunker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:46
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61K; A61K51/00; A61K51/12; A61K51/1282; A61K41/00; A61K41/009; A61L; A61L31/00; A61L31/02; A61L31/022; A61L31/14; A61L31/16; A61L31/18; G; G21; G21G; G21G1/00; G21G1/04; G21G1/06; G21G4/00; G21G4/04; G21G4/06; G21G4/08; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/82; A61F2/86; A61F2/90; A61L2300/00; A61L2300/40; A61L2300/44; A61N; A61N5/00; A61N5/10; A61N5/1001; A61N5/1002; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/902; Y10S977/904; Y10S977/931; Y10S977/932; Y10S977/952
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
48 words
An implantable device comprising: a body comprising a nickel-containing metal alloy or a combination of metals which includes nickel; a non-radioactive precursor isotope disposed within or about said body; and a high-density metal coating disposed over at least a portion of said body containing said non-radioactive precursor isotope.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
48 words
An implantable device comprising: a body comprising a nickel-containing metal alloy or a combination of metals which includes nickel; a non-radioactive precursor isotope disposed within or about said body; and a high-density metal coating disposed over at least a portion of said body containing said non-radioactive precursor isotope.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least about 8% by weight of nickel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said body is substantially free of iron and chromium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said alloy comprises nitinol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said non-radioactive precursor comprises 185 Re or 187 Re.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said high density coating comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, iridium, praseodymium, rhodium, rhenium and gold.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said high density coating has a thickness sufficient to block beta particle emissions of nickel-63 from the device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The implantable device of claim 7, wherein said high density coating is between approximately 5 micrometers and approximately 20 micrometers thick.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The implantable device of claim 1, further comprising an adhesion coating disposed between said body and said non-radioactive precursor isotope.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The implantable device of claim 9, wherein said adhesion coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: aluminum, silicon, titanium, vanadium, manganese, copper, nickel, rhodium and combinations thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The implantable device of claim 1, wherein said high density metal coating comprises the same metal as the non-radioactive precursor isotope.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
The implantable device of claim 11, wherein said metal is rhenium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
79 words
A radioactive implant made by exposing to thermal neutrons a non-radioactive device comprising: a body comprising a nickel-containing metal alloy or a combination of metals which includes nickel; a non-radioactive precursor isotope disposed within or about said body; and a high-density metal coating disposed over at least a portion of said body containing said non-radioactive precursor isotope; said exposure to thermal neutrons being sufficient to transform at least a portion of the non-radioactive precursor isotope to a radioactive isotope.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
A radioactive implant made by exposing to thermal neutrons a non-radioactive device comprising: a body comprising a nickel-containing metal alloy or a combination of metals which includes nickel; a non-radioactive precursor isotope disposed within or about said body; and a high-density metal coating disposed over at least a portion of said body containing said non-radioactive precursor isotope; said exposure to thermal neutrons being sufficient to transform at least a portion of the non-radioactive precursor isotope to a radioactive isotope.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The radioactive implant of claim 13, wherein said thermal neutron exposure exceeds a dose of about 8×10 13 neutrons/cm 2 .
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The radioactive implant of claim 13, wherein said high density coating has a thickness sufficient to block beta particle emissions of nickel-63 from the device.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-01-03 | 2003-07-05 | 2004-01-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-01-03 | 2007-07-05 | 2008-01-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-01-03 | 2011-07-05 | 2012-01-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |