Marking Body, Method for the Production and Use of a Marking Body

Abstract

A marking body, a method for producing a marking body and a method for using a marking body are disclosed. In an embodiment a marking body includes a self-expanding structure of a shape-memory metal, wherein the shape-memory metal forms a tubular structure that has at least two elongated openings along its length that extend no further than from a head section to a foot section of the tubular structure, wherein the tubular structure comprises at least one stripe of the shape-memory metal located between two adjacent elongated openings, and wherein the tubular structure is configured to be compressed when in an application condition and configured to be stretched when in a non-application condition.

Claims

1. A marking body comprising: a self-expanding structure of a shape-memory metal, wherein the shape-memory metal forms a tubular structure that has at least two elongated openings along its length that extend no further than from a head section to a foot section of the tubular structure, wherein the tubular structure comprises at least one stripe of shape-memory metal located between two adjacent elongated openings, and wherein the tubular structure is configured to be compressed when in an application condition and configured to be stretched when in a non-application condition.

2. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the head section is a head collar and the foot section is a foot collar.

3. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the elongated openings run at least partially in parallel to each other and/or the openings are cuts and/or recesses running axially or helically between the head section and the foot section.

4. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the shape-memory metal is nitinol.

5. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the tubular shape memory structure is a sheet bent into a tube that is closed on a long side, a sheet bent into a tube that still has an opening slit along a long side, or a tube.

6. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the marking body has an anchor.

7. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein the at least one strip has at least one anchor along a circumferential direction and/or along its length, wherein the anchor is formed by a tab provided by one or several cuts or recesses that is/are introduced into the strip, wherein the tab has a root via which the tab is radially movably connected to the strip, and wherein the root is continually adjacent to a head section or foot section or offset against it.

8. The marking body according to claim 7, wherein the cut or cuts are U-shaped or W-shaped, and wherein the tab has several ends in its head area.

9. The marking body according to claim 1, further comprising a closure element holding the head section and/or the foot section of the tubular structure.

10. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein an elongated body is arranged in the tubular structure, and wherein the elongated body comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ferromagnetic metals and alloys, shape-memory metals and polymers, and combinations thereof.

11. The marking body according to claim 1, further comprising a housing of a hydrophilic swelling substance, wherein the self-expanding structure of the shape-memory metal is present when compressed in the housing.

12. The marking body according to claim 11, wherein the hydrophilic swelling substance is a hydrogel or a collagen.

13. The marking body according to claim 1, wherein, when in the application condition, the tubular structure has a diameter in a range of 2 mm to 15 mm inclusive, in its most widely protruding point, and a length in a range of 2 mm to 15 mm inclusive.

14. A method for using the marking body according to claim 1, the method comprising: applying the marking body to a tumor cell in a tissue.

15. A method for producing a marking body, the method comprising: providing a semi-finished product in form of a tube or in form of a sheet of a shape-memory metal; introducing at least two elongated openings along a longitudinal side of the semi-finished product between a head section and a foot section, and, if the semi-finished product is present in the form of a sheet, bending the sheet along its longitudinal axis until it has a tubular structure; gripping the semi-finished product at the head section and the foot section, and applying an axial force while compressing the semi-finished product; heating the semi-finished product to a target temperature and holding the target temperature for a duration to imprint a shape on the semi-finished product while compressing the semi-finished product; and cooling the semi-finished product.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: forming an anchor by introducing cuts or recesses in at least one strip after introducing the at least two elongated openings; and bending the anchor in a radial direction no farther than to a root.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Further embodiments and some of the benefits connected to these and further embodiments become clear and better comprehensible by the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures. Objects or parts of these that are essentially the same or similar may be applied with the same reference signs. The figures are only a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the invention.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a marking body of a sheet;

[0048] FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of a marking body with anchoring means;

[0049] FIG. 2b shows a longitudinal view of the marking body of FIG. 2a;

[0050] FIG. 2c shows a frontal view of the marking body of FIG. 2a;

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a marking body in accordance with FIG. 2a, b, c with housing;

[0052] FIG. 4a shows a marking body with anchoring means with rounded tips;

[0053] FIG. 4b shows the marking body of FIG. 4a with caps;

[0054] FIG. 4c shows the marking body of FIG. 4a with inserted pin;

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a marking body with partially opened head and foot section;

[0056] FIG. 6a shows a marking body with helical cuts; and

[0057] FIG. 6b shows the marking body of FIG. 6a in the non-application condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0058] The device according to embodiments of the invention refers to a marking body, formed for marking of tumor cells in tissue, as shown in FIG. 1 to 6b.

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a marking body 1 according to an embodiment of the invention in the application condition. It therefore has the shape memory structure 3 that it also has when it is, e.g., inserted in a tissue. It comprises of a sheet 2 of a shape-memory metal bent into a tube that still has an opening slit 12 on the long side. It also has six elongated openings 4 that are, in this case, cuts that run between the head collar 6 and the foot collar 7, and thus also six strips 5 that run between these. These form the protruded shape memory structure 3 illustrated here that offers an enlarged volume and a high visibility in different viewing directions when viewing via an imaging method due to the broad strips 5. A radial force acts on the environment of the marking body 1 that adheres there in this manner via the strips 5. The figures do not show the associated non-application condition of the marking body 1, which is then present stretched, and therefore not protruding, and that can be easily pre-loaded in a cannula and moved in it due to its tubular structure.

[0060] Generally, it can be said that the number of elongated openings 4 in all marking bodies 1 can be rather at least at 3, 4, 5, 6 or potentially even higher, at up to 14, in order to achieve an ideally spherical shape of the area placed between the head and foot sections 5, 6. There only must not be as many openings or cuts that the structure becomes unstable or even wire-like.

[0061] FIG. 2a to 2c show a marking body 1 with anchoring means in the application condition, wherein the anchoring means here are tabs 8. The marking body here is made of a tube 2 of a shape-memory metal. It has four elongated openings 4 that are present here in the form of four parallel cuts along the length of the tube 2. The four strips 5 formed in this manner run between the head collar 6 and the foot collar 7 (not visible in in FIG. 2c), since the cuts start or end there. In the application condition shown in FIG. 2a to 2c, the strips protrude between the head 6 and foot collar 7 and thus form the framework of the shape memory structure.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, each strip 5 is cut in V-shaped, wherein the V-shaped cuts touch neither the head collar 6, nor the foot collar 7, nor the openings 4 between the strips 5. Thus, a tab 8 is exposed in each strip 5 as anchoring means. Each tab 8 has a tip 11 at its head end 10. The tips point away from the shape memory structure 3 into the environment, as is visible particularly well in FIGS. 2b and 2c. If the marking body 1 is, for example, placed in a tissue area affected by tumor cells, it can be additionally fixated in the surrounding tissue in four locations via these tips. The tabs 8 are connected to the strip 5 into which they are cut via their roots 9. The roots 9 are offset towards the foot collar 7, facing the head collar 6.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a marking body 1 with housing 100 in the non-application condition and therefore shaped tubular. The material that forms the housing is, for example, a hydrogel and present in a dry condition in and around the marking body. In this condition, the marking body can be brought to the location to be marked. It is not illustrated that the hydrogel will swell when in contact with liquid, which supports unfolding of the shape memory structure and that the entire marking body thereby clearly expands its volume.

[0064] FIG. 4a shows a marking body 1 built similarly to the marking body 1 in FIG. 2. It has four elongated openings 4 and four strips 5, wherein in each strip 5 has a tab 8 inserted in it. In contrast to the marking body in FIG. 4, however, the tabs in this embodiment are produced by U-shaped cuts so that the tips 11 of the tabs 8 are rounded, which becomes particularly clear by direct comparison of FIG. 2a and FIG. 4a.

[0065] The marking body 1 shown in FIG. 4b corresponds to that of FIG. 4a, but has caps 13 as an additional feature that are attached to the head collar 6 and foot collar 7 as closure elements. The marking body 1 of FIG. 4a, which has a pin on the inside, is shown in FIG. 4c. Both are embodiment variations that increase visibility of the marking body 1 and form design variations for the image of the marking body 1 visible in the imaging method.

[0066] FIG. 5 shows a marking body that has further recesses and cuts in addition to the four axial cuts 4. Above and below the openings 4, a head section 6 and foot section 7 each are left standing. Recesses run inside of head section 6 and foot section 7 as well in this. Four strips 5 have two U-shaped cuts placed in them each, forming anchoring means. One pair of opposing tabs 8 that face away from each other with their rounded tips 11 is placed on each strip 5. The symmetrical arrangement of the tabs prevents the marking body 1 from moving away in various directions.

[0067] FIGS. 6a and 6b show a marking body 1 made of a tube 2 into which six cuts 4 are introduced that run helically between the head collar 6 and foot collar 7, winding a little more than once around the circumference of the tube 2, but no further cuts or recesses. FIG. 6b shows the marking body in the non-application condition. The tubular structure, which can be transported through a cannula particularly easily and with low friction, becomes clear here. In the application condition of this marking body 1, which is visible in FIG. 6a, the shape memory structure 3 formed by the six protruded strips 6 has expanded. The figures are only schematic illustrations, and in particular the size ratios between the application and the non-application condition are not reflected in the figures.

REFERENCE CHARACTER LIST

[0068] 1 Marking Body [0069] 2, 2 Tube, sheet [0070] 3 Shape memory structure [0071] 4 Elongated opening [0072] 5 Strip [0073] 6, 6 Head section, head collar [0074] 7, 7 Foot section, foot collar [0075] 8 Tab [0076] 9 Root [0077] 10 Head area [0078] 11, 11 Tip, rounded tip [0079] 12 Opening slit [0080] 13 Cap [0081] 14 Pin [0082] 100 Housing