Stephen D Carr

US Patent:

7070554, Jul 4, 2006

Filed:

Jan 15, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/342536

Inventors:

Jack White - Alpharetta GA, US
Stephen N. Carr - Flowery Branch GA, US
Kyle Millage - Flemington NJ, US

Assignee:

Theragenics Corporation - Buford GA

International Classification:

A61N 5/00

US Classification:

600 3

Abstract:

Brachytherapy devices are provided for delivering a substantially uniform dose rate of radiation to a treatment area at a predetermined treatment depth. The devices include a holder defining a cavity, and a radioactive material located within the cavity. The holder comprises radiation-shielding material therein. The holder and the radioactive material are positioned to cooperatively provide a substantially uniform dose rate of radiation to a treatment area at a predetermined treatment depth. Also disclosed are methods for treating macular degeneration or ocular melanoma. The methods involve positioning a brachytherapy device in contact with or in close proximity to tissue located in a treatment area and exposing the tissue located in the treatment area to a therapeutic dose of radiation, which is delivered at a substantially uniform dose rate over the treatment area at a predetermined treatment depth. The devices and methods of the invention also ensure that the radiation delivered outside the treatment area is substantially reduced relative to the radiation delivered within the treatment area to minimize exposure of healthy tissue to radiation. The provision of a substantially uniform dose rate in the treatment area prevents substantial over- and under-exposure to radiation of different portions of the tissue in the treatment area.

US Patent:

20050267319, Dec 1, 2005

Filed:

May 11, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/126581

Inventors:

Jack White - Alpharetta GA, US
Stephen Carr - Flowery Branch GA, US

International Classification:

A61N005/00
A61M036/00

US Classification:

600007000

Abstract:

A seed and/or spacer loader and containers for storage and dispensing of brachytherapy seeds and spacers are disclosed. The seed and/or spacer loader has a holding area to hold seeds and/or spacers prior to loading. The seed and/or spacer loader has a loading mechanism that loads seeds and/or spacers into a receiving device, such as a needle or strand. The seed and/or spacer loader further includes a selection mechanism for selectively dispensing seeds and/or spacers from different containers. The containers have an advancing strip mechanism or a belt which can be employed to position seeds and/or spacers for dispensing from the container and to index the next seed or spacer to a dispensing position.

US Patent:

20050269231, Dec 8, 2005

Filed:

Jun 8, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/863186

Inventors:

Jack White - Alpharetta GA, US
Stephen Carr - Flowery Branch GA, US

International Classification:

A61B017/06

US Classification:

206438000

Abstract:

A shipping container for medical devices that uses part of the container to transfer the device from the container to another location after the container is opened. A container is provided which has a first container portion and a second container portion. One portion of the container is provided with a grip that is graspable by a user's hand and a holder for holding the device using that same portion of the container to permit that portion of the container to be gripped and used to transfer the device from the container to another location without having to directly contact the device. The portion of the container used for transferring the device serves as a barrier between the device and the user to minimize contamination of the device by the user or to minimize contamination of the user by the device. Also described is a method for storage and deployment of a packaged device using the container of the invention.