Apparatus and method for debilitating or killing microorganisms within the body

A therapeutic apparatus including the combination of an endoscope and a fiber optic bundle for conducting radiation to kill or debilitate pathogenic microorganisms within the body of a patient, said apparatus comprising,

• an endoscope having a flexible shaft, a viewing means and a passage extending therethrough,
• a fiber optic bundle extending through the passage,
• a lamp optically coupled to the fiber optic bundle and adapted to be located exteriorly of the body of the patient for transmitting light energy by means of the fiber optic bundle through the flexible shaft of the endoscope and out through a distal end of the endoscope onto an interior surface of a body cavity of the patient for destroying microorganisms supported upon or within the wall of the body cavity,
• said lamp is adapted to expose an interior wall of the body cavity of the patient to light radiation,
• a) the light radiation comprising rays of light passing from said distal end to the body of the patient,
• b) said rays of light being devoid of ultraviolet light in an amount sufficient to damage or destroy body tissue of the patient,
• c) said rays comprising light having a wavelength between about 400 to 470 nm such that,
• d) the light rays kill or debilitate pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within epithelium lining the body cavity of the patient that is being treated
• e) without said light ray causing damage, destruction or ablation of the tissue of the body cavity of the patient, and
• f) and the endoscope has a viewing port through which the body cavity of the patient can be viewed while the light energy is applied thereto through the fiber optic bundle for destroying microorganisms.

A therapeutic apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious ailment within a body cavity of a patient, said apparatus comprising,

• an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of a 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 light source for exposing an interior wall of the body cavity to light radiation comprising at least one wavelength that 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,
• the instrument body comprises an endoscope,
• said shaft has a viewing port for enabling the operator of the endoscope to see the interior of the body cavity of the patient,
• the light radiation source is moveably mounted on a distal end of the shaft for being inserted into the body cavity of the patient,
• and the lamp is moveable between an inserting position aligned with the shaft and an operating position out of alignment with the distal end of the shaft to thereby expose at least one port on the distal end of the shaft.

A therapeutic apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious ailment within a body cavity of a patient, said apparatus comprising,

• an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of a 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 body cavity to light radiation
• a) said light radiation being devoid of ultraviolet light in an amount sufficient to damage or destroy body tissue of the patient
• b) said light radiation has a wavelength between about 400-470 nm such that
• c) said light radiation has a wavelength in a range that will kill or debilitate 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, and
• the light source is a cool light source which produces little or no heat that can be sensed and is mounted upon a distal end of said shaft which is located within the body of the patient during use.

An apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious ailment within a body cavity of a patient, said apparatus comprising,

• an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of a 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 body cavity to light radiation, said radiation comprising radiation having a wavelength that will kill or debilitate pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the epithelium lining the body cavity that is being treated without said radiation causing damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity,
• a viewing port on the shaft through which the body cavity of the patient can be viewed while light energy is applied thereto,
• the elongated shaft has a proximal end that is located outside of the body during use and a distal end that is located inside the body of the patient during use,
• a source of electric current at the proximal end of the shaft,
• electrical conductors are connected to the source of electric current and pass through the shaft for providing electric current to the distal end of the shaft,
• a source of light radiation connected to the distal end of the shaft that during use is within the body of the patient and is wired to the electrical conductors for providing light radiation to kill or debilitate pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the epithelium lining the body cavity that is being treated without said light radiation causing damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity, and
• the viewing port and the source of light radiation at the distal end of the shaft are operatively associated such that during use the wall of the body cavity beyond said source of light is adapted to be viewed through said port.

A method for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious ailment within the body cavity of a patient, said method comprising,

• providing an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into the body cavity of the patient,
• providing a light radiation source connected to the shaft for destroying or debilitating microorganisms within the body of the patient,
• providing a viewing port that is connected to the shaft for enabling an operator to see the inside of the body of the patient where light radiation is applied,
• controlling the light radiation from the source so as to provide light rays consisting of wavelengths between about 400 nm-470 nm and being devoid of ultraviolet light that is present in an amount sufficient to damage or destroy body tissue of the patient,
• causing the light source to expose an interior wall of the body cavity to light by directing said light rays onto the wall of the body cavity,
• such that the light rays kill or debilitate pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the body cavity that is being treated without the light rays causing damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity of the patient.