Optical fiber based antimicrobial ultraviolet radiation therapy system
AssigneeTeleflex Medical Incorporated
InventorsJohn C. Victor, David Troy Rowe
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims15
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.