Apparatus for conveying a light source to an intravenous needle to kill blood pathogens
OwnerJoseph DiStefanoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tip of a needle is inserted into large vein of a patient. The needle is mounted in a butterfly device axially engaged to a generally cylindrical housing containing a Y-connector. A pharmaceutically acceptable solution is fed to the needle through the Y-connector to the housing. A quartz optic fiber is fed through the housing and needle to the tip of the needle in the patient's venous system. A source of UV and visible light directs both UV and visible light alternatively through the optic fiber to the patient's venous system to kill pathogens in the venous system.
Claims20
An apparatus for treating venous blood of a patient to control the presence of pathogens in a blood stream compromising:
- (a) a Y-shaped housing having an annular internal diameter;
- (b) a terminal end of the Y-shaped housing enclosing a hub of a needle housing;
- (c) a needle having a first end mounted in the hub and a second end tip protruding outside the hub for inserting into a patient's vein in which the blood stream is flowing;
- (d) a source of a pharmaceutically acceptable solution with a conduit from the solution source directed to a first arm of the Y-shaped housing;
- (e) first portion of a quartz optic fiber passing through a second arm of the Y-shaped housing and through the needle to the tip;
- and
- (f) a second portion of the quartz optic fiber connected by a quartz fiber optic bundle to a housing containing a source of UV and visible light whereby the UV and visible light is conducted to the tip of the needle.
An apparatus for destroying pathogens in a venous blood vessel comprising:
- (a) a housing having a first and second passageway leading to a cylindrical body, an end portion of the body distal from the first and second passageway enclosing an annular needle housing;
- (b) a needle having a first portion mounted in the annular needle housing and a second portion extending outwardly to a tip for inserting into a vein of a patient;
- (c) a sealed enclosure containing a pharmaceutically acceptable solution having a conduit leading to one of the passageways;
- (d) a first end portion of a quartz optic fiber passing through one of the passageways and through the needle to the tip;
- and
- (e) a second portion of the quartz optic fiber connected through a connector to a first end of a fiber optic bundle, the fiber optic bundle connected at a second end to a source of UV and visible light whereby the UV and visible light is conducted to the tip of the needle, while the solution is flowing through the needle to the tip.
An apparatus for destroying pathogens in a venous blood vessel comprising:
- (a) a housing having a first and second arm leading to a cylindrical body, an end portion of the cylindrical body distal from the first and second arms enclosing a needle housing;
- (b) a needle having a first portion mounted in the needle housing and a second portion extending outwardly to a tip inserted into a vein of a patient;
- (c) a liquid solution source having a conduit leading to the first arm;
- (d) a first end portion of a quartz optic fiber passing through the second arm and through the needle to the tip;
- (e) a second portion of the quartz optic fiber centered through a center bore in a ball movably positioned in a hollow tapered connector, the hollow tapered connector attached at a wide mouth to a terminal for a quartz fiber optic bundle and at a narrow pointed end to the second arm of the housing;
- and
- (f) the fiber optic bundle connected at an end distal from the terminal to a source of UV and visible light whereby the UV and visible light is conducted to the tip of the needle while the solution is flowing through the needle to the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.