Methods and apparatus to inactivate infectious agents on a drainage catheter residing in a body cavity

A method for implementing a medical device assembly to deliver electromagnetic radiation (EMR) into a cavity of a patient's body, the medical device assembly for insertion into the cavity of the patient's body for drainage of a fluid from the patient's body comprising the steps of:

• providing a catheter having an elongate catheter body with at least one internal lumen, a coupling end, a distal end tip and an inflatable balloon, the distal end tip being insertable into the cavity of the patient's body, the inflatable balloon being disposed proximate the distal end tip and being inflatable by delivering an inflation fluid to the balloon;
• applying an optical element within the catheter body, the optical element being conducive to the axial propagation of a sterilizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) through the catheter body;
• coupling an EMR source to the catheter body;
• and
• the EMR source for providing non-ultraviolet, sterilizing EMR having an intensity comprising a radiant exposure of at least 0.1 J/cm2 and up to 100 J/cm2 and power of at least 0.005 mW and up to 1 Watt, such intensity being sufficient to inactivate one or more infectious agents.

A method for implementing a medical device assembly having a catheter with an elongate catheter body for insertion into a cavity of a patient's body, the catheter for drainage of a fluid from the patient's body, the elongate catheter body having at least one internal lumen, a coupling end, and a distal end tip, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying an optical element within the elongate catheter body, the optical element being conducive to the axial propagation of a sterilizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) through the catheter body;
• connecting an EMR source to the catheter body;
• and
• the EMR source providing non-ultraviolet, sterilizing EMR having an intensity comprising a radiant exposure of at least 0.1 J/cm2 and up to 100 J/cm2 and power of at least 0.005 mW and up to 1 Watt, such intensity being sufficient to inactivate one or more infectious agents.