Apparatus and method for debilitating or killing microorganisms within the body

An apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious gastrointestinal ailment, within a body cavity of a patient including gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, cytomegalovirus ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease, said apparatus comprising:

• an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of the patient,
• a light radiation source connected to the shaft for destroying or debilitating microorganisms within the body of the patient,
• said light radiation source comprising a pulsed xenon arc lamp for exposing an interior wall of the gastrointestinal tract of the patient to light radiation,
• such that the light radiation transmitted from the lamp to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract surrounding the shaft of the apparatus kills or debilitates pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the epithelium lining the body cavity that is being treated without damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity to thereby reduce or alleviate the symptoms of said ailment.

An apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious gastrointestinal ailment within a body cavity of a patient including gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, cytomegalovirus ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease, said apparatus comprising:

• an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of the patient,
• a light radiation source connected to the shaft for destroying or debilitating microorganisms within the body of the patient,
• said light radiation source comprising a lamp for exposing an interior wall of the gastrointestinal tract of the patient to light radiation,
• a power supply having a control wired to the lamp for providing the lamp with timed pulses of electrical current for causing the lamp to flash at timed intervals with bursts of light radiation,
• such that the light radiation transmitted from the lamp to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract surrounding the shaft of the apparatus kills or debilitates pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the epithelium lining the body cavity that is being treated without damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity.

A method of use of a surgical apparatus having a body with a shaft terminating in a distal tip, and a means for directing light radiation from the apparatus onto the lining of a body cavity for treating a gastrointestinal ailment of a patient including at least one of the following:

• gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, cytomegalovirus ulcers, culcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, said method comprising:
• inserting the shaft of the surgical apparatus into the body of the patient so as to place the distal tip of the apparatus within the gastrointestinal tract of the patient,
• irradiating the body cavity of the patient with light radiation so as to kill or debilitate microorganisms lining the body cavity without damage destruction or ablation of the body cavity of the patient,
• said inserting and irradiating steps improving or alleviating one or more of the symptoms of said gastrointestinal ailment.