Method and apparatus for ultraviolet radiation catheter sterilization system

• US 6,461,569 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medex Incorporated (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Boudreaux, Chad P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hill, Terrance R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chorbaji, Monzer R.
• Application Number:
  US09/714,628
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 422/22, 422/24, 422/292, 600/101, 604/5.8, 604/510, 604/95.01, 604/264, 604/95.04, 604/256, 604/95.05, 604/523, 604/164.13, 604/533, 604/165.01, 604/537, 604/167.02, 604/167.06
• US Class Current: 422/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for sterlizng a catheter. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus comprises a UV radiation source, a catheter having a lumen which is surrounded by the catheter'"'"'s wall, and a fiber optic cable that is coupled to a UV radiation source. The fiber optic cable is disposed within the catheter'"'"'s lumen and is capable of emitting UV radiation through the fiber optic cable'"'"'s wall. In another exemplary embodiment, the apparatus described above further comprises an insertion tube having two separate paths, one path for a fluid source, and one path for a fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable in one embodiment can easily be inserted when sterilization is needed and simply removed when completed without modification to existing catheter connections and components.

Claims

1. A catheter assembly comprising:

a UV radiation source;

a catheter having a lumen which is surrounded by a first wall of said catheter;

a fiber optic cable coupled to said UV radiation source and freely disposed within said lumen, said fiber optic cable having a second wall which surrounds a length of said fiber optic cable, said second wall having a dimension which is less than a dimension of said lumen, said fiber optic cable emitting UV radiation through at least a portion of said second wall; and

a cable insertion device capable of coupling to said catheter, said cable insertion device having at least one slit along a portion of an outer wall.

2. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, further comprising:

an insertion tube having a an attachment capable of connecting to said catheter, said insertion tube to guide said fiber optic cable into said catheter.

3. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, further comprising:

an insertion tube having two separate paths, a first path for fluid source, a second path for said fiber optic cable, said two separate paths meeting at one end, said end having an attachment capable of connecting said insertion tube to said catheter, and said insertion tube to guide said fiber optic cable into said catheter.

4. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, further comprising:

a Y shaped insertion tube comprising a first leg to connect to a fluid source using a first attachment, a second leg to connect to said fiber optic cable using a second attachment, and a third leg to connect to said catheter using a third attachment.

5. A catheter assembly as in claim 4, wherein the cable insertion device further having a first end and a second end, said first end having a nose end capable of allowing said fiber optic cable to be inserted through and said second end attaching to said second leg of said Y shaped insertion tube to guide said fiber optic cable into said catheter.

6. A catheter assembly as in claim 5, wherein said slit is a through slit having a first side and a second side, and said cable insertion device further comprises:

a first push rod located on said first side of said through slit; and

a second push rod located on said second side of said through slit, said first push rod and said second push rod capable of connecting to said fiber optic cable to secure said fiber optic cable within said cable insertion device.

7. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, wherein said fiber optic cable is at least two gauge sizes smaller in diameter than said catheter.

8. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, wherein said fiber optic cable is polished allowing said UV radiation source to emit outward for a predefined length along said second wall to effectively sterilize an area of interest.

9. A catheter assembly as in claim 1, wherein said fiber optic cable further comprises:

a first end and a second end, said first end having a first fixture capable of connecting into said UV radiation source, and said second end having a second fixture which is polished to allow said UV radiation source to emit outwards for a predefined length along said second wall to effectively sterilize an area of interest.

10. A method for effectively sterilizing a catheter comprising:

inserting a catheter having a lumen which is surrounded by a first wall of said catheter into a patient'"'"'s body;

disposing a fiber optic cable freely within said lumen, said fiber optic cable having a second wall which surrounds a length of said fiber optic cable, said second wall having a dimension which is less than a dimension of said lumen and emitting UV radiation through at least a portion of said second wall;

connecting a cable insertion device to said fiber optic cable, said cable insertion device having an outer wall and at least one slit in a portion of said outer wall; and

transmitting a UV radiation source into said fiber optic cable for a sufficient amount of time and duration to effectively sterilize an area of interest.

11. A method as in claim 10, further comprising:

connecting an insertion tube to said catheter using an attachment, said insertion tube guiding said fiber optic cable into said catheter.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said transmitting of said UV radiation source is not done simultaneously with injecting of a fluid source that interferes with said UV radiation.

13. A method as in claim 10, further comprising:

connecting an insertion tube having a first path and a second path;

dedicating said first path to a fluid source;

dedicating said second path for said fiber optic cable; and

uniting said first path and said second path at one end, said one end having an attachment capable of connecting said insertion tube to said catheter.

14. A method as in claim 10, further comprising:

providing a Y shaped insertion tube having a first leg, a second leg and a third leg;

connecting said first leg of said Y shaped insertion tube to a fluid source using a first attachment;

connecting said second leg of said Y shaped insertion tube to said fiber optic cable using a second attachment; and

connecting said third leg of said Y shaped insertion tube to said catheter using a third attachment.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising:

turning off said UV radiation source upon completion of sterilization; and

removing said fiber optic cable from said insertion tube.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein said connecting said cable insertion device includes said cable insertion device further having a first end and a second end, said first end having a nose end capable of allowing said fiber optic cable to be inserted through and said second end attaching to said second leg of said Y shaped insertion tube using a fourth attachment.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising:

designing said cable insertion device wherein said slit is a through slit extending from a first side through to a second side of said cable insertion device;

attaching a first push rod to said first side;

attaching a second push rod to said second side;

designing said first push rod and said second push rod with grinding teeth enabling said first push rod and said second push rod to be screwed down through said through slit making a contact with said fiber optic cable inserted within said cable insertion device; and

sliding said first push rod and said second push rod forward along said through slit inserting said fiber optic cable into said second leg of said Y shaped insertion tube and into said catheter.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising;

sealing said Y shaped insertion tube with a rubber valve seal;

affixing a steel lumen to said cable insertion device enabling said cable insertion device to break said rubber valve seal when connecting to said second leg of said Y shaped insertion tube.

19. A method as in claim 10, wherein said disposing of said fiber optic cable is of a fiber optic cable having a dimension of at least two gauges smaller in external diameter than an internal diameter of said lumen of said catheter.

20. A method as in claim 10, further comprising:

scoring said fiber optic cable along a section which emits said UV radiation enabling said UV radiation source to emit outward for a predefined length along said wall to effectively sterilize an area of interest.