A body-insertable device having an adjustable radiation emission direction and radiation emission range, which includes a first outer body extending to be long and an accommodation space having a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space having different distances to the first outer body.

A method and system may include a therapeutic agent having a radioactive source enclosed by a container. The container may be placed within a cavity of a medical device for treating animal tissue. The method and system allows a radioactive source to be manufactured in such a manner so as to control and spatially modulate the delivery of radiation doses to a treatment area of animal tissue, such as for tissue of humans. From the container, radiation doses and/or a radiation field are produced by the radiation source. The geometry and size of the radiation doses are controlled by the geometry of the container and the geometry of the radiation source as well as the type, number, and geometry of holes/slots in either the source material and/or a surface of the container.

A system for delivery of radiation to a target portion of a native tissue is provided. The system includes a catheter having a main catheter body. The main catheter body includes an outer catheter surface and an inner catheter surface that defines a longitudinally oriented lumen. The lumen extends between longitudinally spaced proximal and distal catheter face surfaces extending laterally between the inner and outer catheter surfaces. A sheath covers at least a portion of the outer catheter surface. The sheath includes a tapered portion protruding substantially longitudinally distally from a portion of the distal catheter face surface. A plurality of tubes extends through the lumen towards the distal catheter face surface. Each tube of the plurality of tubes is configured to selectively guide exposure of a radiation source to the target portion of the native tissue.

A shield assembly for an intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT) system, has: a tubular applicator engageable to a rotating mechanism of the IMBT system, the tubular applicator having a peripheral wall enclosing an internal cavity extending longitudinally along a central axis; a radiation shield extending axially along the central axis and received within the internal cavity, the radiation shield made of an MRI-compatible and radiation attenuating material; and a radionuclide-receiving passage within the internal cavity of the tubular applicator, the radionuclide-receiving passage extending axially and being radially offset from the central axis.

Methods and systems are described for a rotating shield brachytherapy device. As disclosed herein, the rotating shield brachytherapy (RSBT) apparatus may comprise a radiation source, a drive assembly, a catheter, and an applicator. The applicator can have an outer surface and opposed proximal and distal end portions and a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the catheter. The distal end portion of the catheter can comprise one or more radiation shields and is configured to receive the radiation source. The drive assembly can be configured to engage the proximal end portion of the catheter to selectively rotate the catheter about the longitudinal axis.

A cradle made of radiation-shielding material holds one or more radioactive seeds. The cradle surrounds all but a portion of the seed, and the potion of the cradle that does not surround the seeds creates an aperture through which the radiation escapes the cradle. The cradle reflects and absorbs radiation from the seed, resulting in directional dosing toward diseased tissue and away from healthy tissue. In a preferred embodiment the cradle has four walls and a bottom, forming a cavity into which the seed is secured with biocompatible epoxy. The side opposite the bottom is typically open, but may instead be made of a material that is transparent to radiation. The cradle wall thickness, bottom thickness, and cavity height determine the direction, shape, and intensity of the radiation dispersion. Cradles may be attached to a biocompatible mesh to form a sheet with directional radiation.

Methods and systems are described for a rotating shield brachytherapy device. As disclosed herein, the rotating shield brachytherapy (RSBT) apparatus may comprise a radiation source, a drive assembly, a catheter, and an applicator. The applicator can have an outer surface and opposed proximal and distal end portions and a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the catheter. The distal end portion of the catheter can comprise one or more radiation shields and is configured to receive the radiation source. The drive assembly can be configured to engage the proximal end portion of the catheter to selectively rotate the catheter about the longitudinal axis.

A magnetic resonance imaging system is configured to be selectively operated in a default mode and an emulation mode. Execution of machine executable instructions by a processor of the magnetic resonance imaging system causes the magnetic resonance imaging system to receive a selection signal selecting the emulation mode. The magnetic resonance imaging system switches from the default mode to the emulation mode. The magnetic resonance imaging system is operated in the emulation mode using the set of emulation control parameters. The emulated magnetic resonance imaging data is acquired from the imaging zone of the magnetic resonance imaging system.

An electrode is disclosed for use in a system for heating biological tissue via RF energy. The electrode comprises a plurality of electrically conductive pins projecting from, and in electrical contact with, an electrically conductive common base. The base is connectible to a source of RF energy and the spaced ends of the pins remote from the base have contact regions for introducing RF energy from the source into the biological tissue. Each contact region is sufficiently small to achieve uniform dielectric heating in the biological tissue beneath the contact region at the frequency of the applied RF energy.

Computerized information acquisition and processing apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a video apparatus with image capture and digitization capability, and multiple wireless interfaces for accomplishing various purposes, including e.g., streaming the digitized video data to another device for viewing and/or storage thereon. In one variant, one of the wireless interfaces is a short range passive RFID-based interface which generates replies to interrogation signals, the replies including user-specific information.