A method of stapling tissue includes clamping tissue between a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly of a loading unit, firing the loading unit such that the fasteners secured in the cartridge assembly pass through a body portion of a first buttress that is positioned between the clamped tissue and one of the cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly, trimming a first portion of the first buttress that is adjacent a first edge of the tissue, and removing the first portion of the first buttress from a surgical site. The first buttress capturing fasteners that are fired from a portion of the cartridge assembly which extends beyond the tissue. The first portion of the first buttress including at least one remnant fastener.

An apparatus and method for loading brachytherapy carriers with radioactive seeds in order to implement brachytherapy treatment protocols with more precise and predictable dosimetry. These apparatuses and methods enable a medical team to create a radionuclide carrier for each patient and tumor reliably, reproducibly and efficiently.

A casing holding one or more brachytherapy seeds for implanting in a patient, which in turn carry atoms of a radioactive element for radiotherapy treatment is filled with a viscous liquid in a manner preventing radiation from the one or more brachytherapy seeds from exiting the casing. The casing may include a metallic or non-metallic elongated tube configured for insertion into tissue or a vial for delivering a seed to a physician for insertion into a needle.

An applicator device is provided including a connecting unit. The connecting unit includes a first connector coupled to a first colpostat and a second connector coupled to a second colpostat. The first connector includes a first contact portion and a body portion, the first contact portion being immovably fixed to the body portion. The second connector includes a second contact portion and a third contact portion, the second contact portion being configured to contact and pivotally engage the first contact portion. The first connector further includes a fourth contact portion configured to contact the third contact portion. The second contact portion and the third contact portion are disposed between the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion, and the first contact portion are disposed in closer proximity to a point of delivery of a radiation source than the second, third, or fourth contact portions.

The present disclosure proposes a flexible delivery system and method for a radioactive source. The system includes a main body, a delivery channel, a flexible pushing wire, and a wire driving mechanism. The flexible pushing wire is disposed in the delivery channel, the delivery channel is configured to guide the flexible pushing wire to move forward and backward, the wire driving mechanism is capable of driving the flexible pushing wire to move reciprocally, and the flexible pushing wire is capable of driving seeds, or seed strain chains, or seed strand casings to a target position along the delivery channel, which can achieve high-precision positional control and implantation and solve the problem of drifting movement of the puncture needle and multi-channel implantation of radioactive sources.

The invention discloses a radioactive source delivery system with a stylet pulling mechanism and its method of use. The wire driving mechanism is connected to the wire output channel, and the wire driving mechanism is used to drive the pushing wire to move back and forth along the wire output channel. A stylet pulling mechanism is located on one side of the front end of the wire output channel. Through the channel-switching mechanism, the wire output channel is docked with a flexible delivery tube. The front end of the flexible the delivery tube is connected to a puncture needle or has a quick connector for connecting to the puncture needle. The stylet pulling mechanism can dock with the tail portion of the flexible stylet inside the flexible delivery tube, pulling the flexible stylet out of the flexible delivery tube to form a hollow flexible delivery channel. A radioactive source feeding mechanism is used to place the radioactive source in front of the pushing wire. The wire driving mechanism drives the pushing wire forward, pushing the radioactive source through the wire output channel, flexible delivery tube, and into the puncture needle inserted in the target object, ultimately implanting it into the target object. This invention prevents blood from entering and clotting inside the puncture needle, reduces surgery time, achieves full automation, and improves the accuracy of the implantation position.

The present invention discloses a radioactive source delivery system and its method of use. The radioactive source delivery system comprise a radioactive source delivery mechanism connecting to the needle trocar via a flexible delivery tube, through which the radioactive source is implanted into a target body; and a needle pulling driver driving the flexible delivery tube which connects to the needle trocar inserted into the target body and controls the needle trocar to be pulled partly out of the target body, thereby adjusting the implantation position of the radioactive source.

A radioactive seed loading and pushing device suitable for a brachytherapy treatment, the device including: a seed reservoir containing radioactive seeds, free with respect to one another; a flexible push cable and a motor-driven device for driving and guiding the push cable configured to make the push cable switch from a retracted position, clearing a loading area for a radioactive seed, up to a deployed position ensuring pushing of the seed; and a system ensuring loading of a seed from the reservoir up to the loading area.

Carriers for embodying radioactive seeds, as well as a device for loading and customizing brachytherapy carriers based on the principles of optimizing a more precise and predictable dosimetry, and adaptable to the geometric challenges of a tumor bed in a real-time setting. The present disclosure relates to a specialized loading device designed to enable a medical team to create a radionuclide carrier for each patient and tumor reliably, reproducibly and efficiently.

Disclosed are a negative-pressure drug loading apparatus and a negative-pressure drug loading method. When the apparatus is in use, drug particles to be loaded are placed into the particle storage tube, and a proper amount of drug solution is introduced. The particle storage tube is placed in the body, and the sealing space is sealed. A vacuum pump is used to execute a negative pressure operation in the body until the inside of the particle storage tube is pumped into a vacuum. An air valve of the vacuum pump is opened, such that the drug solution comes into the said particles under the action of pressure. After the pressure is stable, the particle storage tube is let stand for a period of time such that the drug solution stably stays in the said particles.