# US 12,214,097 B2 · Disinfecting methods and apparatus

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- Number: US 12,214,097 B2
- Document ID: US12214097B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/208,054
- Filed: 2023-06-09
- Published: 2023-10-19
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-22
- Assignees: Inikoa Medical, Inc.
- Applicants: Inikoa Medical, Inc.
- Inventors: Brett Zaborsky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214097B2

## CPC

- A61L 2/10: Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
- A61B 90/70: Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
- A61L 2/084: Visible light
- A61L 2/24: Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
- A61L 2/26: Accessories
- A61N 5/0624: {for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body}
- G02B 6/0006: {Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298)}
- G02B 6/3624: {Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262)}
- A61L 2/18: Liquid substances
- A61L 2103/05: Living organisms or biological materials
- A61L 2103/15: Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps
- A61L 2202/14: Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
- A61N 5/0616: {Skin treatment other than tanning}
- A61N 2005/063: {comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres}
- A61N 2005/0661: {ultraviolet}
- A61N 2005/0662: {Visible light}
- A61N 2005/0663: {Coloured light}
- G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre}
- G02B 6/0229: {characterised by nanostructures, i.e. structures of size less than 100 nm, e.g. quantum dots}
- G02B 6/241: {Light guide terminations}
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Light disinfecting systems are provided in which light emanating from an end or side of optical fibers is used to disinfect a target site. According to one implementation a light beam emanating from an end emitting optical fiber is directed into a body that includes a plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the end emitted beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site. The assembly may further include a substrate coupled to the body, the substrate including one or more channels in which reside one or more radially emitting optical fibers that are configured to radially emit bacterial disinfecting light towards the target site, the substrate being at least partially transparent to the bacterial disinfecting light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An assembly for bacterially disinfecting a designated target site, the assembly comprising:
a first end emitting optical fiber having a terminal end configured to only end emit a first beam of bacterial disinfecting light from the terminal end;
a first body including a plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site, the plurality of optical surfaces including a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a first total reflective surface, the first total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light; and
a substrate, the substrate including one or more channels in which reside one or more radially emitting optical fibers that are configured to radially emit bacterial disinfecting light, the substrate being at least partially transparent to the bacterial disinfecting light, the first body being positioned above and physically coupled to the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the one or more radially emitting optical fibers contain slack inside the one or more channels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is flat.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first total reflective surface comprises a boundary between a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, the second material being air.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first material comprises a polymer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber is located in a lumen or recess of the first body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first end emitting optical fiber comprises a core having an end, the assembly further comprising an index matching material disposed between the end of the core and the first refractive optical surface, the index matching material being an adhesive that secures the first end emitting optical fiber to the first body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second refractive optical surface constitutes at least a portion of a bottom of the first body.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second refractive optical surface is a concave surface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first total reflective surface is a total internal reflection optical surface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a first throughs opening located in a side of the first body, the first through opening extending from a top surface of the first body to a bottom surface of the first body and being configured to accommodate the passage of a medical device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the one or more radially emitting optical fibers is/are located to a side of the first body.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The assembly according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the substrate is located beneath the first body, the at least portion of the substrate including a through opening in communication with the first through opening of the first body, the through opening of the substrate being configured to accommodate the passage of the medical device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:
a second end emitting optical fiber having a terminal end configured to only end emit a second beam of bacterial disinfecting light from the terminal end; and
a second body including a plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site, the plurality of optical surfaces including a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a first total reflective surface, the first total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the second body is positioned above and physically coupled to the substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first body and second body comprise a unitary structure.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the first body and second body comprise a unitary structure, the first and second bodies being unmovable with respect to one another.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the unitary structure comprises a molded polymer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first reflective surface of each of the first and second body is a total internal reflection optical surface.