Disinfecting Methods and Apparatus

Abstract

Light disinfecting systems are provided in which light emanating from an end or side of an optical fiber is used to disinfect a target site. According to one implementation a light beam emanating from an end emitting optical fiber is directed into a body that includes a plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site. According to one implementation the plurality of optical surfaces include a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a total reflective surface with the total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the beam of bacterial disinfecting light.

1 . An assembly for bacterially disinfecting a designated target site, the assembly comprising:
 a first end emitting optical fiber having a terminal end configured to end emit a first beam of bacterial disinfecting light from the terminal end;   a first body including a first plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site, the first plurality of optical surfaces including a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a first continuous total reflective surface, the first continuous total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light, the first end emitting optical fiber configured to emit the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light through the first refractive optical surface, the terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber and the first refractive optical surface being arranged such that a totality of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light that exits the first refractive optical surface impinges on the first continuous total reflective optical surface.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first continuous total reflective surface comprises a boundary between a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, the second material being air. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first material comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first continuous total reflective surface comprises a light reflective metal. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber is located in a lumen or recess of the first body. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the first end emitting optical fiber comprises a core having an end, the assembly further comprising an index matching material disposed between the end of the core and the first refractive optical surface. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the index matching material is an adhesive that secures the first end emitting optical fiber to the first body. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the second refractive optical surface constitutes at least a portion of a bottom of the first body. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the second refractive optical surface is a concave surface. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of optical surfaces further comprises a second continuous total reflective surface, the second continuous total reflective surface being located between the first continuous total reflective surface and the second refractive optical surface. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second continuous total reflective surfaces is a total internal reflection optical surface. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second continuous total reflective surfaces is a total internal reflection optical surface. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber is located at a first location in the first body and is configured to end emit the first beam of disinfecting light in a direction distal to the first location, the first plurality of optical surfaces of the first body being arranged in or on the first body such that when the first beam of disinfecting light is emitted from the terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is caused to exit the first body at a second location that is proximal to the first location. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the terminal end of the first end emitting fiber is located at a first location in the first body and is configured to end emit the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light in a direction distal to the first location, the first plurality of optical surfaces of the first body being arranged in the first body such that when the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is emitted from the terminal end of the first end emitting fiber at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is caused to exit the first body at a second location that is proximal to the first location. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first end emitting optical fiber comprises at an end thereof a power density lowering end cap. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first through opening located adjacent a side of the first body, the first through opening extending from a top surface of the assembly to a bottom surface of the assembly and being configured to accommodate the passage of a medical device. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the assembly further comprises a substrate, the substrate including one or more channels in which reside one or more radially emitting optical fibers that are configured to radially emit bacterial disinfecting light, the substrate being at least partially transparent to the bacterial disinfecting light, the first body being positioned above and physically coupled to the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the substrate is flexible and the one or more radially emitting optical fibers contain slack inside the one or more channels. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the substrate is flat. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the assembly further comprises a liquid absorbent pad that is at least partially transparent to the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light, the liquid absorbent pad being located beneath at least a portion of the first body and having a second through opening in communication with the first through opening. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second end emitting optical fiber having a terminal end configured to end emit a second beam of bacterial disinfecting light from the terminal end; 
 a second body including a second plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site, the second plurality of optical surfaces including a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a first continuous total reflective surface, the first continuous total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light. 
 
     
     
         27 . The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first body and second body comprise a unitary structure. 
     
     
         28 . The assembly according to  claim 27 , wherein the unitary structure comprises a molded polymer. 
     
     
         29 . The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first continuous reflective surface of each of the first and second body is a total internal reflection optical surface. 
     
     
         30 . The assembly according to  claim 26 , wherein the first continuous reflective surface of each of the first and second body comprises a light reflective metal.