Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for visually verifying the quantity of seeds and spacers in a brachytherapy needle. In a first embodiment, the needle is pointed upwardly and seeds and spacers slide from a lumen of the needle, under the influence of gravity, into the lumen of a clear tube that is positioned in axial alignment with the lumen of the needle by a hub. In a second embodiment, the needle is received within the lumen of the clear tube and a stylet is used to push a string of bone wax, seeds, and spacers from the lumen of the needle into the lumen of the clear tube for visual verification. A plunger rod is introduced into the proximal end of the clear tube to push the string back into the needle and the clear tube and plunger are removed to enable use of the needle. In both embodiments, the plunger rod is fully inserted into the clear tube during shipment to prevent unwanted displacement of the seeds and spacers from the needle.

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First Claim