Sichuan Cancer Hospital Licenses Two Innovative Brachytherapy Patents for RMB 1 Million

Recently, Sichuan Cancer Hospital entered into an exclusive patent license agreement with Sichuan Huashu Turing Additive Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd. (TR MED-3D), to"Combined Implant Applicator" and "A Radioactive Seed Implantation System"Two Invention Patents in the Field of Tumor Radiotherapy Undergo Technology Transfer, with Total Transaction Amount Reaching1 million yuan。

Both patents focus on the core pain points of tumor particle implantation therapy, with “A Radioactive Particle Implantation System” innovatingFlexible Substrate with Numbered Guide Hole Array, in conjunction with the TPS workstation and simulated CT equipment, pre-set the puncture orientation before formulating the treatment plan, achieving low-cost, efficient, and precise particle implantation without the need for complex intelligent guidance devices; the "combined implantation applicator" thenModular Design of Sleeve, Fixing Cap, and Combination Block, can be freely combined according to the patient's tumor location, body shape, and other factors, meeting the individualized treatment needs for various conditions such as cervical cancer and rectal cancer, significantly reducing operational difficulty and patient discomfort.

Radioactive Seed ImplantationThis is a core technology of brachytherapy, which involves the direct implantation of radionuclides such as Iodine-125 into the tumor target volume. By leveraging the continuously emitted gamma rays, it precisely destroys tumor cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues, a method that has been effectively validated in clinical practice both domestically and internationally. Cervical cancer, as a high-incidence malignant tumor among women in China, relies on radiotherapy as one of the three primary treatment modalities. The standard treatment regimen combines external beam radiotherapy with intracavitary brachytherapy. However, for patients with locally advanced disease, a combined approach of intracavitary plus interstitial implantation is required to optimize dose distribution within the target volume; nevertheless, existing technologies present numerous challenges.

The core workflow of existing clinical protocols is“Image Localization – TPS Treatment Planning – Puncture and Implantation”, relying on imaging equipment such as ultrasound and CT for guidance, and requiring complex intelligent guidance systems to control the puncture angle and position. However, this approach has significant drawbacks:

First, intelligent guidance devices are characterized by complex structures, large footprints, and high costs, which raise the financial and spatial barriers for healthcare institutions, thereby severely hindering the implementation of the tiered diagnosis and treatment policy in primary care hospitals.

Second, the equipment requires individual localization of each puncture site, resulting in prolonged switching times; when hundreds of seeds need to be implanted, the overall treatment efficiency is extremely low.

Third, reliance on sensors for automatic positioning adjustment is prone to errors or failure to accurately reach the target location, making it difficult to match particle implantation with the preset treatment plan.

Fourth, brachytherapy applicators for conditions such as cervical cancer suffer from poor individualized adaptability and limited variety. The operational workflow is cumbersome and demands a high level of physician proficiency. Some approaches rely on 3D-printed customization, which prolongs patient waiting times. Meanwhile, traditional devices require fixation via gauze packing or cotton balls, thereby increasing patient discomfort.

Fifth, the control of puncture orientation during particle implantation is complex, and visualization of puncture depth is insufficient. Furthermore, applicator implantation may induce organ deformation, further compromising treatment precision.

Clinical practice urgently needs to break through the current technological bottlenecks, with core demands concentrated in four areas:First, reduce equipment costs and lower the barrier to operation., enabling primary care hospitals to perform precise particle implantation therapy;Second, improve treatment efficiency, simplify the puncture localization process and reduce patient diagnosis and treatment time;Third, enhance the personalized adaptability of technology, to meet the treatment needs of different tumor types and patient body sizes;4. Improve the precision of puncture and implantation, reduce operational errors and patient suffering, ultimately achieving efficient, precise, and accessible tumor treatment.

Leveraging disruptive design concepts and innovations in modular structure, two patented technologies have precisely addressed the long-standing clinical pain points associated with traditional tumor particle implantation therapy, demonstrating remarkable originality and significant technical advantages overall. Among them,Radioactive Seed Implantation SystemIt breaks the traditional paradigm of “first formulating a plan, then controlling the puncture orientation” by innovatively adopting a flexible substrate with an array of numbered guide holes. This design pre-covers all feasible puncture orientations within the tumor target area, allowing treatment plans to be directly selected and determined from the preset orientations. This approach eliminates reliance on complex and expensive intelligent guidance equipment, thereby simplifying the workflow at the operational logic level.

Combined Interstitial ApplicatorA modular design combining sleeves, fixation caps, and combination blocks is employed, allowing flexible assembly of components in various sizes and angles based on the patient’s tumor location, body habitus, and clinical characteristics. It also offers a choice between end-penetrating and non-penetrating sleeves to meet the individualized treatment needs for conditions such as cervical cancer and rectal cancer.

In terms of detailed design, both technologies revolve aroundPrecision and VisualizationDeep Optimization: The particle implantation system employs a rigid guide channel within the guide sleeve to prevent deformation of the flexible substrate from compromising puncture accuracy. It incorporates components with differential density to enable clear visualization of the guide hole under CT imaging, and provides intuitive visual feedback for precise control of puncture depth. The combined implantation applicator utilizes a slot-and-limit-plate structure to ensure the stability and reliability of the assembly block, minimizing loosening and displacement. Additionally, it features a spherical cap seal to enhance conformity with human tissue, thereby further improving operational stability.

Leveraging the aforementioned innovative designs, the two technologies areClinical ApplicationIt possesses multiple outstanding advantages: on one hand, it eliminates the need for high-end, multi-degree-of-freedom guidance equipment; its components feature a simple structure and controllable costs, while the operational workflow is significantly streamlined. This substantially lowers the equipment and facility thresholds for primary healthcare institutions, facilitating the dissemination of precision radiotherapy technology and the implementation of tiered diagnosis and treatment.

On the other hand, it enables one-time planning of multi-point puncture trajectories, eliminating the time-consuming process of point-by-point adjustment. The applicators do not require custom fabrication; instead, they can be assembled on-site to accommodate individual patient anatomy, effectively shortening the waiting time for diagnosis and treatment and enhancing overall therapeutic efficiency.

Meanwhile, the two technologies inPrecision and SafetyAchieving a favorable balance, the particle implantation system enables precise control of puncture angle and depth through preset orientations, image reconstruction, and coordinate mapping, thereby effectively reducing localization errors. The combined implant applicator minimizes organ deformation via sleeve fixation and reduces operational deviations by employing preset needle hole angles. By eliminating traditional packing-based fixation methods, it further alleviates patient discomfort. Moreover, the combined implant applicator can be sterilized and reused, helping to lower treatment costs for patients. Both technologies boast broad adaptability, meeting the individualized treatment needs of patients with various tumor types and body habitus, demonstrating strong clinical practicality and potential for widespread adoption.

This patent aligns precisely with the market demands and policy directions for oncology radiotherapy in China, offering broad market prospects. Leveraging its core advantages of preset guidance, modular configuration, low cost, and ease of operation, it effectively fills the market gap for practical particle implantation devices at the primary care level. Suitable for medical institutions at all levels, it particularly accords with the development trends of tiered diagnosis and treatment and the decentralization of medical resources, thereby possessing the conditions for rapid adoption and implementation.

Novartis’ Lutetium-177-Based Targeted Radioligand Therapy, with supporting patents covering“Precision Delivery System for Radioactive Seeds”, with its core application in the treatment of prostate cancer, particularly metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). It emphasizes integrated diagnosis and therapy, enabling precise localization of tumor lesions and particle delivery by targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA). Clinical procedures require multimodal image fusion equipment, with collaborative operation by specialized nuclear medicine physicians and radiation oncologists throughout the process. This approach allows real-time monitoring of particle implantation positions and dose distribution, thereby reducing damage to surrounding normal tissues. However, its application is strictly limited to top-tier (Grade A tertiary) hospitals and large cancer centers, primarily serving the precision treatment needs of patients with advanced-stage tumors. Primary care hospitals are completely unable to implement this technology due to constraints related to equipment costs, operational thresholds, and a shortage of specialized professionals. Furthermore, clinical feedback has highlighted issues such as cumbersome operational workflows, inconvenient equipment maintenance, and prolonged treatment cycles.

Currently, the field of particle implantation therapy in China has formed a clear product stratification.China Isotope & Radiation CorporationAs the leading enterprise in nuclear technology applications in China,Ningbo Junan under its umbrellaPossessing the proprietary patented “micro-plasma” welding technology for titanium tubes, with supporting products including iodine-125 radioactive seeds and implantation devices, this patent ensures no radioactive leakage from the seeds. Clinically, it is adaptable to various common solid tumors such as prostate cancer, liver cancer, and lung cancer. It can be used not only for palliative care in patients who cannot tolerate surgery but also as an adjuvant therapy for residual postoperative lesions or recurrent tumors after radiotherapy. The procedure does not require complex image fusion equipment; basic CT or ultrasound guidance is sufficient. Currently, it has been widely adopted in prefecture-level hospitals and some county-level primary healthcare institutions. Clinical feedback indicates that the technique is easy to operate, highly safe, and well-aligned with the diagnostic and treatment habits of Chinese patients, effectively alleviating symptoms such as pain and compression in patients with advanced-stage tumors.

Overall, the downward distribution of existing high-end equipment faces significant challenges, while conventional products lack sufficient personalization and precision, resulting in a clear structural gap in the market. In the future, as demand for precision radiotherapy continues to grow and tiered diagnosis and treatment are further advanced, particle implantation and interstitial devices that are easy to operate, cost-controllable, personalized, safe, and precise will become the mainstream direction of the industry. This patented technology precisely addresses clinical pain points; it not only meets the needs of large hospitals for precision upgrades but also supports grassroots institutions in carrying out standardized brachytherapy. It demonstrates long-term, sustainable development potential in terms of clinical promotion, achievement transformation, and market scalability.