Optical fiber based antimicrobial ultraviolet radiation therapy system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10765768-B2
Application number	US-201916405847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

An ultraviolet irradiation system includes a medical device having a central lumen, an optical fiber having a longitudinal length, and an ultraviolet wave generator, wherein ultraviolet waves generated by the wave generator are dispersed along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to disinfect the central lumen of the medical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultraviolet irradiation system comprising:
a medical device having a central lumen with an inner wall;
an optical fiber disposed in the medical device, the optical fiber having a longitudinal length and a cladding layer extending along the longitudinal length, the cladding layer having a varied thickness over the longitudinal length;
and an ultraviolet wave generator, wherein ultraviolet waves generated by the wave generator are dispersed along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to disinfect the central lumen of the medical device, and wherein the ultraviolet waves are uniformly emitted along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to uniformly irradiate the inner wall of the central lumen.

2. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device includes a cylindrical wall surrounding the central lumen, and the optical fiber is embedded into the wall.

3. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 2 , wherein the optical fiber is embedded into the wall in a helical pattern.

4. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber further comprises a cylindrical core.

5. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 4 , wherein the core comprises a Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) material extruded with a specific proportion of scattering particles compounded into the PMMA material.

6. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 4 , wherein surface pitting and solvent voids are formed in the cladding layer by a chemical abrasion process.

7. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 4 , wherein surface pores are formed in the cladding layer by a micro abrasion process.

8. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 7 , wherein facets in the core are formed by the micro abrasion process.

9. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device includes an endotracheal tube.

10. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device includes a central venous catheter stylet.

11. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the medical device includes a foley catheter stylet.

12. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet wave generator includes a programmable light source for generating the ultraviolet radiation.

13. The ultraviolet irradiation system of claim 12 , wherein the light source includes a non-coherent light emitting diode array.

14. A method for disinfecting a medical device having a central lumen, using an ultraviolet irradiation system according to claim 1 .

15. A method of delivering an irradiating light using an ultraviolet irradiation system comprising a medical device having a central lumen with an inner wall, an optical fiber disposed in the medical device and having a longitudinal length and a cladding layer extending along the longitudinal length, the cladding layer having a varied thickness over the longitudinal length, and an ultraviolet wave generator, the method comprising:
dispersing ultraviolet waves generated by the wave generator along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to disinfect the central lumen of the medical device, and
uniformly emitting the ultraviolet waves along the longitudinal length of the optical fiber to irradiate the inner wall of the central lumen.

Assignees

• Teleflex Medical Inc

Inventors

• Victor John C
• Rowe David Troy

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• G02B6/001

  the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre · CPC title

• A61L2/10 Primary

  Ultraviolet [UV] radiation · CPC title

• A61M16/04

  Tracheal tubes (catheters in general A61M25/00) · CPC title

• A61N5/0624

  for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body · CPC title