Granted Patent B1

US 10,429,517 · App. 16/057,299 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method of manufacturing a radio-opaque plastic scintillation detector (PSD) sensor cable, comprising:

coating a plastic scintillator fiber with a suspension comprising a radio-opaque material in a binder;

cutting the plastic scintillator fiber thereby resulting in a light exit end of the plastic scintillator fiber;

stripping a first end of a plastic optic fiber thereby resulting in a naked end of the plastic optical fiber and a jacketed end of the plastic optical fiber;

cutting the naked end to generate a light entry end of the plastic optical fiber;

inserting a guide tube co-axially over the naked end;

inserting the light exit end of the plastic scintillator fiber against the light entry end of the plastic optical fiber inside the guide tube; and

selectively coating or covering any protruding plastic scintillator fiber with a light opaque polymer; and

optically coupling a connector to a terminus of the jacketed end of the plastic optical fiber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said radio-opaque material may be comprised of any of iodine, cobalt, gold, bismuth, barium, or tungsten.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: dipping the plastic scintillator fiber in a suspension; wherein the suspension comprising either tantalum powder and polyethylene oxide; tantalum powder and polyurethane; or tantalum powder and both polyethylene oxide and polyurethane.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plastic scintillator fiber is dipped at least 5 times.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the tantalum powder is configured to be comprised of a particle size of between 1-5 μm.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plastic scintillator fiber is dipped at least 10 times.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the polyurethane is an aromatic polyurethane.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of 100,000 to 500,000.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the tantalum suspension comprises 60-80 wt % of the tantalum powder and 20-40 wt % of the polyethylene oxide or the polyurethane.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connector is an SC connector or an SMA connector.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plastic scintillator fiber is a polystyrene-based fiber with green or blue light emission.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light opaque polymer is a heat shrink polymer.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the heat shrink polymer is configured to include a depth indicia.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the depth indicia is configured to be printed on the heat shrink polymer with a medical grade ink.

15. A method of manufacturing a radio-opaque plastic scintillation detector (PSD) sensor cable, comprising:

coating a plastic scintillator fiber with tantalum, wherein the coating is applied either with a combination of a binder fluid and tantalum powder, or with a suspension comprising tantalum in a binder;

cutting the plastic scintillator fiber with a hot knife or laser cutter thereby resulting in a light exit end of the plastic scintillator fiber;

cutting a plastic optic fiber thereby resulting in a naked end of the plastic optical fiber and a jacketed end of the plastic optical fiber;

cutting the naked end with a hot knife or laser cutter to generate a light entry end of the plastic optical fiber;

inserting a guide tube coaxially over the light entry end;

abutting the light exit end of the plastic scintillator fiber against the light entry end of the plastic optical fiber;

selectively coating or covering any protruding plastic scintillator fiber with a light opaque polymer; and

optically coupling a connector to a terminus of the jacketed end of the plastic optical fiber.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the light entry end of the plastic optical fiber abuts the light exit end of the plastic scintillator fiber with no adhesive therebetween.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the light opaque polymer is a heat shrink polymer.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heat shrink polymer is configured to comprise a depth indicia.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the depth indicia is configured to be printed on the heat shrink polymer with a medical grade ink.

20. A PSD sensor cable made by the method of claim 15 .

21. A method of treatment of a cancer, comprising:

inserting the PSD sensor cable of claim 20 into a target site;

imaging the PSD sensor cable and selectively adjusting PSD sensor position within the target site;

connecting the connector of the PSD sensor cable to a photodetector;

delivering radiation to the target site and measuring an amount of delivered radiation; and

removing the PSD sensor cable.

22. A method of treatment of a cancer, comprising:

inserting the PSD sensor cable of claim 20 into a radiation delivery device;

inserting the radiation delivery device and the PSD sensor cable into target site;

imaging the PSD sensor cable;

connecting the connector of the PSD sensor cable to a photodetector;

delivering radiation to the target site and measuring an amount of delivered radiation;

recording the measured amount of delivered radiation; and

removing the radiation delivery device and the PSD sensor cable.

Assignments (7)