Methods and apparatus for reducing count of infectious agents in intravenous access system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for preventing infection at a catheter insertion site, comprising:
- a U-shaped housing comprising a cross-bar and a pair of arms extending from said cross-bar, and light-emitting elements for irradiating a catheter insertion site with violet and/or blue light having wavelengths in a range of 390-492 nanometers;
said cross-bar and said pair of arms having a diagonal lower surface from which one or more of said light-emitting elements extend;
said light-emitting elements positioned such that they emit light in a direction below the housing while operational.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The device disclosed herein may be affixed over a transparent dressing overlying the catheter entry point, or may be used independent of such a dressing. The device may be affixed to the catheter insertion site using an adhesive or fastening band, or through other methods. Depending on context, the device may be used continuously or periodically, and may be affixed such that it is directly abutting a transparent dressing or directly adjacent to the skin surface, or it may be spaced a certain distance from the skin. If spaced from the skin, light may be directed from the light sources, either directly or indirectly through optical conduits. Preferably the light sources will be positioned such that light from the light sources overlaps at one or more areas on the skin, especially the catheter entry point.
55 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for preventing infection at a catheter insertion site, comprising:
-
a U-shaped housing comprising a cross-bar and a pair of arms extending from said cross-bar, and light-emitting elements for irradiating a catheter insertion site with violet and/or blue light having wavelengths in a range of 390-492 nanometers; said cross-bar and said pair of arms having a diagonal lower surface from which one or more of said light-emitting elements extend; said light-emitting elements positioned such that they emit light in a direction below the housing while operational. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An apparatus for preventing infection at a catheter insertion site, comprising:
-
a U-shaped housing comprising a cross-bar and a pair of arms extending from said cross-bar, and light-emitting elements for irradiating a catheter insertion site with violet and/or blue light having wavelengths in a range of 390-492 nanometers; a flap element hingedly attached to said cross-bar between said pair of arms and movable between an engaged position where the flap element is positioned in a plane corresponding to a horizontal plane of the said pair of arms and a disengaged position where the flap element is lifted up from the horizontal plane of said pair of arms, said light-emitting elements being located on said flap element, said light-emitting elements positioned such that they emit light in a direction below the housing while operational, said flap element being biased towards said engaged position in which the light from the light-emitting elements is directed directly downward; and an optical conduit configured to enhance optical coupling between said light-emitting elements and said catheter insertion site, and configured to act as a thermal insulator, said optical conduit located between the pair of arms and positioned such that it is directly below the flap element when the flap element is in said engaged position, said optical conduit being composed of an optically transmissive material for allowing light emitted from said light-emitting elements to be incident on said catheter insertion site. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method of preventing infection at a catheter insertion site, comprising:
-
inserting a catheter into a catheter insertion site; applying a transparent window dressing to said catheter insertion site; providing an apparatus for preventing infection at a catheter insertion site, said apparatus comprising a U-shaped housing having light-emitting elements directed in a downward direction for irradiating the catheter insertion site with violet and/or blue light having wavelengths in a range of 390-492 nanometers; and introducing said apparatus for preventing infection over said transparent window dressing such that said light-emitting elements are directed to emit light through said transparent window dressing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification