Medical devices
First Claim
1. A method of reducing infection arising as a result of a device being at least partially placed within a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a field generating means comprising two electrodes and a separate power source connected between said electrodes for generating a persistent negative electric field around said device for repelling bacteria; and
while said device is at least partially placed within said body, repelling said bacteria by generating said persistent negative electric field for the order of at least a day, whereby bacterial attachment and colonization in and adjacent the device/body interface is inhibited.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter or other invasive/implant device (40;52) intended for relatively long term use, of the order of a day or more, in a patient'"'"'s body is provided with an electric field generator (48;53) to inhibit bacterial attachment and colonization on and adjacent the device/body interface. The generator can involve application to the device of electret material (53) or an electrode (48) in or for connection with an electrical circuit (47,50,51). The field is preferably unidirectionally negative and also continuous and constant, but pulsatile, alternating and other field forms are possible.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of reducing infection arising as a result of a device being at least partially placed within a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a field generating means comprising two electrodes and a separate power source connected between said electrodes for generating a persistent negative electric field around said device for repelling bacteria; and while said device is at least partially placed within said body, repelling said bacteria by generating said persistent negative electric field for the order of at least a day, whereby bacterial attachment and colonization in and adjacent the device/body interface is inhibited. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of reducing infection arising as a result of the presence of a device being at least partially placed within a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a field generating means comprising an electret material for generating a persistent negative electric field around said device for repelling bacteria; and while said device is at least partially placed within said body, repelling said bacteria by generating said negative persistent electric field for the order of at least a day, whereby bacterial attachment and colonization in and adjacent the device the device/body interface is inhibited. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of reducing infection arising as a result of the presence of a device being at least partially placed within a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a field generating means comprising an electret material for generating a persistent negative electric field around said device for repelling bacteria; and while said device is at least partially within said body, repelling said bacteria by generating said negative persistent electric field for the order of at least a day as a sole electrical measure for inhibiting bacterial attachment and colonization in and adjacent the device/body interface. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A method of reducing infection arising as a result of the presence of a device being at least partially placed within a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a field generating means comprising two electrodes and a separate power source connected between said electrodes for generating a persistent negative electric field extending around said device for repelling bacteria; and while said device is at least partially placed within said body, repelling said bacteria by generating said negative persistent electric field for the order of at least a day as a sole electrical measure for inhibiting bacterial attachment and colonization in and adjacent the device/body interface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification