Reduced-pressure systems and methods employing an ultraviolet light source for reducing bioburden
AssigneeKCI Licensing, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Brian Locke, Timothy Mark Robinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for moving fluids from a patient to a canister and lowering or eliminating the bio-burden of the canister. In one instance, a method for removing fluids from a patient includes using reduced pressure to remove fluids from a patient, delivering the fluids into a reduced-pressure conduit and into a fluid reservoir, exposing the fluids removed from the patient to a UV light source to kill pathogens to create disposable fluids, and disposing of the disposable fluids. Other systems, devices, and methods are presented.
Claims20
A system for removing fluids from a patient using reduced pressure, the system comprising:
- a reduced-pressure source for providing the reduced pressure;
- a liquid receptor for removing the fluids from the patient under the influence of the reduced pressure;
- a canister having a fluid reservoir configured to be fluidly coupled to the reduced-pressure source and to the liquid receptor, the canister at least partially being positioned within a canister housing and including at least one wall;
- a reduced-pressure conduit configured to fluidly couple the canister and the liquid receptor, wherein the reduced-pressure conduit includes a UV-transparent portion positioned within the canister housing;
- and
- a UV light source positioned in the canister housing to expose the fluids to UV light through the UV-transparent portion of the reduced-pressure conduit and a UV-transparent portion of the at least one wall of the canister.
A system for removing fluids from a patient using reduced pressure, the system comprising:
- a reduced-pressure source for providing the reduced pressure;
- a liquid receptor for removing the fluids from the patient under the influence of the reduced pressure;
- a canister having a fluid reservoir configured to be fluidly coupled to the reduced-pressure source and to the liquid receptor, the canister at least partially being positioned within a canister housing, the fluid reservoir comprising a wall;
- a reduced-pressure conduit including a UV-transparent portion configured to be fluidly coupled between the canister and the liquid receptor;
- and
- a UV light source positioned in the canister housing to expose the fluids to UV light through a UV-transparent portion of the wall of the fluid reservoir and the UV-transparent portion of the reduced-pressure conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.