Electrochemical disinfection of implanted catheters
First Claim
1. A method for electrochemically disinfecting a catheter implanted in a patient'"'"'s body, by creating a biofilm-inhibiting concentration of oxidizing agents, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate catheter body comprising a dielectric material and having a proximal region, a distal region, a lumen extending through the catheter body and adapted to transport fluid from the proximal region to the distal region, an outer surface on the exterior of the catheter body, and an inner surface on the interior of the lumen, andat least two exterior electrodes on and integral with the outer surface of the catheter, the exterior electrodes being elongate and extending longitudinally along the outer surface of the catheter body from the proximal region to the distal region, wherein the exterior electrodes extend radially inward from the outer surface through a wall of the catheter body to the inner surface, thereby additionally serving as interior electrodes;
wherein the two exterior electrodes are separated by a pair of gaps, each gap comprising the dielectric material of the catheter body, and extending radially from the outer surface to the inner surface of the catheter body and longitudinally from the proximal region to the distal region;
the method comprising, in the absence of an added biocidal agent, with the catheter implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, and without removing the catheter from the patient'"'"'s body, applying a voltage across the exterior electrodes of a magnitude that is effective to create a biofilm-inhibiting concentration of oxidizing agents from endogenous compounds present in the body.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable catheter is provided that may be disinfected without removal from the body of a patient, using an electrochemical method to generate an electric field on the catheter surface and thus destroy microorganisms in a biofilm that is present or forming. A catheter system includes the implantable catheter and a voltage source that is operably connected to electrodes on or embedded in the exterior and optionally the interior catheter surface. Methods are also provided for disinfecting the implantable catheter in vivo and for detecting or confirming the presence of a pathogenic biofilm thereon.
34 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for electrochemically disinfecting a catheter implanted in a patient'"'"'s body, by creating a biofilm-inhibiting concentration of oxidizing agents, the catheter comprising:
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an elongate catheter body comprising a dielectric material and having a proximal region, a distal region, a lumen extending through the catheter body and adapted to transport fluid from the proximal region to the distal region, an outer surface on the exterior of the catheter body, and an inner surface on the interior of the lumen, and at least two exterior electrodes on and integral with the outer surface of the catheter, the exterior electrodes being elongate and extending longitudinally along the outer surface of the catheter body from the proximal region to the distal region, wherein the exterior electrodes extend radially inward from the outer surface through a wall of the catheter body to the inner surface, thereby additionally serving as interior electrodes; wherein the two exterior electrodes are separated by a pair of gaps, each gap comprising the dielectric material of the catheter body, and extending radially from the outer surface to the inner surface of the catheter body and longitudinally from the proximal region to the distal region; the method comprising, in the absence of an added biocidal agent, with the catheter implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, and without removing the catheter from the patient'"'"'s body, applying a voltage across the exterior electrodes of a magnitude that is effective to create a biofilm-inhibiting concentration of oxidizing agents from endogenous compounds present in the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification