Bio-burden visualization system

• US 6,653,146 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chemclean Corp.
• Original Assignee: Chemclean Corp.
• Inventors: Ruvinsky, Lee, Esquenet, Marc, Esquenet, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): WALLENHORST, MAUREEN
• Application Number:
  US09/713,666
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 436/63, 436/164, 436/165, 436/172, 422/82.05, 422/82.08, 422/24, 435/287.4, 435/288.7, 356/51, 600/310, 600/317, 250/459.1, 250/461.1, 250/461.2
• US Class Current: 436/172
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/00 Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor for contact lenses A61L12/00; atomisers for disinfecting agents A61M; sterilisation of packages or package contents in association with packaging B65B55/00; treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F; disinfecting paper D21H21/36; disinfecting devices for water closets E03D; articles having provision for disinfection, see the relevant subclasses for these articles, e.g. H04R1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation

Abstract

A method of visualizing biological material on medical instruments is disclosed which consists of the steps of selecting a dye material capable of creating fluorescence or phosphorescence when applied to biological material and subjected to ultraviolet light; applying the dye to a medical instrument; mounting the medical instrument in a viewing box; exposing the medical instrument in the viewing box to ultraviolet light and observing the instrument through an opening in the view box to determine if the dye has caused fluorescence or phosphorescence of material on the instrument indicative of the presence of biological material thereon.

Claims

1. A method of visualizing biological material on medical instruments comprising the steps of selecting a dye material capable of creating fluorescence when applied to biological material and subjected to ultraviolet light;

applying said dye to a medical instrument;

mounting said instrument in a viewing box;

exposing the instrument in the viewing box to ultraviolet light; and

observing said instrument through an opening in the viewing box to determine if said dye has caused fluorescence of material on the instrument indicative of the presence of biological material thereon;

said step of exposing the medical instrument to ultraviolet light comprising the step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument from at least two angularly related ultraviolet light sources located in the viewing box.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said observing step comprises the step of viewing the instrument with a camera.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said observing step comprises the step of using a digital CCD camera connected to a computer and computer monitor.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument includes locating the at least two light sources at a location above the instrument and adjacent the opening in the viewing box.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein said step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument includes the step of directing ultraviolet light from a third light source transversely of the at least two light sources.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a dye material comprises the step of selecting the dye from the group consisting of Nile red, Nile blue A, Lucifer Yellow VS, Lucifer Yellow CH, Fluorescamine, Fluorescent Brightener 28, Free Acid, Lumichrome, Diiodofluorescein, Ethyl Eosin, 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, Fluoresceinamine, isomer II, Fluorescein diacetate, Fluoresceinamine, isomer I, 3-aminophthalhydrazide, Eosin Y (Acid Red 87), Fluorescein (Solvent Yellow 94), Fluorescein diacetate, 2′

,7′

-diclolrofluorescein, Sulforhodamine B (Acid Red

     52), Sulforhodamine 101 (Acid Chloride), Thioflavin S (Direct Yellow

     7), Rhodamine B (Basic Violet

     10), indocyanine green and Indotricarbocyanine (ICC).

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of applying the dye to the medical instrument comprises the step of swabbing the dye onto the instrument.

8. A method of visualizing a predetermined class of material on a medical instrument comprising the steps of selecting a dye material capable of creating fluorescence when applied to said predetermined class of material and subjected to ultraviolet light;

applying said dye to a medical instrument;

mounting the medical instrument in a viewing box;

exposing the medical instrument in the viewing box to ultraviolet light; and

observing said instrument through an opening in the viewing box to determine if said dye has caused fluorescence of material on the instrument indicative of the presence of said predetermined class of material thereon;

said observing step comprising the step of viewing the instrument with a camera; and

said step of exposing the medical instrument to ultraviolet light comprises the step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument from at least two angularly related ultraviolet light sources located in the viewing box.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein said step of selecting a dye material comprises the step of selecting the dye from the group consisting of Nile red, Nile blue A, Lucifer Yellow VS, Lucifer Yellow CH, Fluorescamine, Fluorescent Brightener 28, Free Acid, Lumichrome, Diiodofluorescein, Ethyl Eosin, 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, Fluoresceinamine, isomer II, Fluorescein diacetate, Fluoresceinamine, isomer I, 3-aminophthalhydrazide, Eosin Y (Acid Red 87), Fluorescein (Solvent Yellow 94), Fluorescein diacetate, 2′

,7′

-diclolrofluorescein, Sulforhodamine B (Acid Red

     52), Sulforhodamine 101 (Acid Chloride), Thioflavin S (Direct Yellow

     7), Rhodamine B (Basic Violet

     10), indocyanine green and Indotricarbocyanine (ICC).

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said viewing step comprises the step of using a digital CCD camera connected to a computer and computer monitor.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein said step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument includes locating the at least two light sources at a location above the instrument and below the opening in the viewing box.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein said step of directing ultraviolet light on the instrument includes the step of directing ultraviolet light from a third light source transversely of the at least two light sources.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein said step of applying the dye to the medical instrument comprises the step of swabbing the dye onto the instrument.