LIGHT DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20090204111A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ondine International AG
• Original Assignee: Alois Bissig, Andreas Rose, Erich Zurfluh
• Inventors: Bissig, Alois, Rose, Andreas, Zurfluh, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 9,067,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2261 with scattering, diffusion or dispersion of light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body

Abstract

A light delivery device comprising an optical fiber having a non-feature portion and a feature portion having features that force light to couple out radially from the feature portion and provide a desired radial light output pattern. A method of photodisinfection of a cavity comprising of providing this device, apply a photosensitizing composition to treatment site within the cavity, and inserting at least a portion of the device into the cavity; and applying light delivered by the device from a light source to the treatment site within the cavity at a wavelength absorbed by the photosensitizing composition so as to inhibit or eliminate microbes located at the treatment site. The present invention also includes a method of making the device and a treatment kit containing the device and a container containing a photosensitizing composition.

Claims

1. A light delivery device comprising an optical fiber having:

(i) a core and a cladding layer that covers at least a portion of the core, wherein the cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the core; and

(ii) a non-feature portion and a feature portion having features that force light to couple out radially from the feature portion and provide a desired radial light output pattern.

2. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein the features are selected from the group consisting of threads, radial cuts, axial cuts, and a combination thereof.

3. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein amount of light radially from each of the features is impacted by depth of each of the features that has been made into the optical fiber.

4. The light delivery device of claim 3 wherein the depth of each of the features ranges from about 0.1% to 0.25% of diameter of the optical fiber.

5. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein the feature portion of the optical fiber contains the core only without the cladding layer.

6. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein the feature portion of the optical fiber contains both the core and the cladding layer.

7. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein distance between each of the features is varied within the feature portion.

8. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein distance between each of the features within the feature portion ranges from about 0.01 mm to about 10 mm.

9. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein distal end of the optical fiber has a geometry selected from a group consisting of flat, concave conic, convex conic, hemisphere with an apex cone, and a combination thereof.

10. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is a polymer optical fiber.

11. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber has a diameter ranges from about 50 um to about 3 mm.

12. The light delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a light diffusing member having a pocket adapted to accept an insert portion of the optical fiber.

13. The light delivery device of claim 12 wherein the light diffusing member (i) is plastic, (ii) is formed by injection molding process, (iii) has a body portion containing ribs;

and is removably attached to the optical fiber.

14. The light delivery device of claim 1 wherein (i) the cladding layer does not cover distal end of the optical fiber including a length of about 17 mm of the optical fiber measuring from the distal end;

(ii) the feature portion is located within the optical fiber that does not contain the cladding layer;

(iii) the features are threads cut into the optical fiber at a frequency of about 0.5 mm and at a depth of about 0.05 mm.

15. The light delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a light source in light communication with the optical fiber wherein the desired radial light output pattern is in the visible range.

16. The light delivery device of claim 15 wherein the light source is a laser.

17. A treatment kit for photodisinfection comprising:

(a) A light delivery device comprising an optical fiber having (i) a core and a cladding layer that covers at least a portion of the core, wherein the cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the core; and

(ii) a non-feature portion and a feature portion having features that force light to couple out radially from the feature portion and provide a desired radial light output pattern.

(b) A photosensitizing composition contained in a photosensitizing composition source; and

(c) An application tip.

18. The kit of claim 17 wherein the light delivery device further comprising a light diffusing member having a pocket adapted to accept an insert portion of the optical fiber.

19. A method of photodisinfection of a cavity comprising:

Providing a light delivery device comprising an optical fiber having;

(i) a core and a cladding layer that covers at least a portion of the core, wherein the cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the core; and

(ii) a non-feature portion and a feature portion having features that force light to couple out radially from the feature portion and provide a desired radial light output pattern;

Applying a photosensitizing composition to treatment site within the cavity;

Inserting at least a portion of the device into the cavity; and

Applying light delivered by the device from a light source to the treatment site within the cavity at a wavelength absorbed by the photosensitizing composition so as to inhibit or eliminate microbes located at the treatment site.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the light delivery device further comprising a light diffusing member having a pocket adapted to accept an insert portion of the optical fiber.